Rafa Hewett: The Powerful Journey of a Professional Pickleball Champion

From Tennis Prodigy to Two-Time MLP Champion

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Rafa Hewett is a professional American pickleball player whose journey from competitive junior tennis to the highest levels of professional pickleball is a story of determination, adaptability, and persistence. Born in Bradenton, Florida, he developed his athletic ability through tennis before discovering pickleball and eventually turning professional in 2019. His transition to the sport produced remarkable results, including two Major League Pickleball championships in 2022.

Today, Rafa Hewett is known not only for competing on the professional pickleball circuit but also for his work as a coach and pickleball director. His career demonstrates how an athlete can use skills developed in one sport to build a successful second career. While his rise has included major victories, professional competition has also brought difficult results and challenges, making his story more realistic than a simple tale of uninterrupted success.

Table of Contents

Quick Bio

Category	Details
Full Name	Rafa Hewett
Profession	Professional Pickleball Player and Coach
Nationality	American
Birthplace	Bradenton, Florida, USA
Residence	Auburn, Alabama, USA
Height	6 feet 2 inches (188 cm)
Playing Hand	Left-handed
Turned Professional	2019
Main Sports	Pickleball and Tennis
Major Achievement	Two-time MLP Champion
College	Point University
College Sport	Tennis
Coaching Role	Director of Pickleball
Major League Pickleball	Two championships in 2022
Education	Business Administration degree
Wife	Brooklyn
Children	Chaelyn, Peaches, and Mills

Professional player profiles and coaching biographies provide the core information in this table.

Early Life and Tennis Background

Growing Up in Bradenton

Rafa Hewett was born in Bradenton, Florida, an area well known for producing talented tennis players. From a young age, he developed a strong interest in athletics, with tennis becoming his main competitive sport. His early sporting background helped establish the discipline and competitive mentality that later became important to his pickleball career.

His childhood sporting interests were not limited to tennis. Public biographies state that he also played basketball and participated in cross-country running. These experiences gave him exposure to different forms of competition and physical training before he eventually concentrated more heavily on racquet sports.

Bollettieri Tennis Academy

One of the important stages of his early development was attending the Bollettieri Tennis Academy. He competed at a high level during his junior years and developed the technical and competitive foundation that would later help him transition into professional pickleball.

In 2012, he was ranked No. 1 in Idaho and was listed among the top junior tennis players in the Pacific Northwest. That achievement showed that his tennis ability was already significant before pickleball became his primary professional sport.

College Tennis Career

Point University

Hewett continued his athletic education at Point University in West Point, Georgia. He played four years of collegiate tennis and served as captain of the university’s tennis team. His team also reached the national level during his collegiate career.

He graduated from Point University with a degree in Business Administration. His combination of collegiate athletics and business education later provided a useful foundation for both his professional playing career and his work in pickleball development.

College tennis also gave him experience with team leadership. That background became particularly relevant when he entered Major League Pickleball, a format in which teamwork and chemistry are crucial alongside individual ability.

How Rafa Hewett Discovered Pickleball

A Birthday Gift Changed His Career

Hewett’s entry into pickleball began in an unexpectedly simple way. According to his professional biography, his grandmother gave him a pickleball paddle as a birthday present. He began playing the sport and soon entered a small tournament in Spokane, Washington.

The result was a major early signal of his potential. He won gold in professional men’s singles at that tournament, encouraging him to take the new sport more seriously.

By the end of 2019, he was traveling to professional pickleball events. At the same time, he was still balancing the demands of work connected with his family’s ranch and vineyard. Eventually, the growing opportunities in pickleball convinced him to make the sport his primary professional pursuit.

Becoming a Professional Pickleball Player

Turning Professional in 2019

Hewett officially turned professional in pickleball in 2019. His tennis background gave him a strong foundation, but professional pickleball required him to adapt to a different style of play, court movement, strategy, and doubles dynamics.

He later moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where he trained with professional pickleball player Tyson McGuffin. This period helped him develop further as he pursued a full-time career in the sport.

The transition was not completely effortless. Professional sports require consistent travel, training, competition, and financial commitment. His early years involved balancing pickleball with other responsibilities, but persistence eventually helped him establish himself on the professional circuit.

Rafa Hewett and Major League Pickleball

Two Championships in 2022

The biggest breakthrough of Hewett’s early professional career came in Major League Pickleball. He won two MLP championships during the 2022 season, establishing himself as one of the notable players in the league.

His two MLP titles remain among the defining accomplishments of his career. He has also been listed as a four-time MLP finalist, demonstrating that his success was not limited to a single tournament run.

These victories helped raise his profile among pickleball fans and strengthened his reputation as a competitive team player. MLP requires athletes to perform in a team environment, making communication and consistency especially important.

Professional Pickleball Achievements

Tournament Success

Hewett has achieved notable results across several professional competitions. His documented accomplishments include:

Two-time Major League Pickleball champion.
Four-time MLP finalist.
Silver medal in men’s professional singles at the PPA Atlanta Open.
Gold medals in men’s doubles and mixed doubles at the APP Alabama Classic.
Additional podium finishes across professional events.

His ability to compete in singles and doubles demonstrates the versatility of his game. Rather than being limited to one format, he has built a professional career across multiple disciplines.

PPA Tour Career

Hewett competes on the Professional Pickleball Association Tour in men’s singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles. His official PPA profile lists him as a left-handed player standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and identifies Auburn, Alabama, as his residence.

His height and left-handedness can provide useful advantages in doubles competition, while his tennis background gives him experience with positioning, ball control, and competitive rallies.

Playing Style and Competitive Mindset

Left-Handed Advantage

Hewett is a left-handed professional player. His professional profile describes him as highly vocal, determined, and motivated, with a strong competitive edge.

That competitive attitude has become part of his public identity within professional pickleball. He has been described as someone who refuses to easily give up on points and enjoys the competitive side of the game.

However, professional competition also produces setbacks. Not every tournament produces a medal or championship, and his career statistics show that he has experienced both victories and defeats. Those results are a normal part of a professional athlete’s development.

Coaching Career and Work in Alabama

Director of Pickleball

Hewett has also built a career away from tournament competition. He has worked as the Director of Pickleball at Moore’s Mill Club in Auburn, Alabama.

In that role, he developed pickleball programs including clinics, classes, leagues, cardio pickleball, and a junior pickleball academy. His work has therefore extended beyond his own competitive career toward helping other players develop their skills.

Developing the Next Generation

One of the most important aspects of his coaching work is his focus on younger players. His professional biography states that he developed a Junior Pickleball Academy designed to help introduce and develop the next generation of players.

This gives his career a second dimension. He is not simply competing in professional tournaments; he is also contributing to the growth of pickleball at the grassroots level.

Family and Personal Life

Wife and Children

Public professional biographies identify Brooklyn as Hewett’s wife and list three children: daughters Chaelyn and Peaches and son Mills.

His family has been publicly described as supportive of his professional career, including traveling to tournaments. This family connection has become part of the public picture surrounding his life on the professional pickleball circuit.

More recent public reporting in 2026 has discussed his relationship with fellow professional pickleball player Marcela Hones. Because the available public sources contain different descriptions across different periods of his personal life, it is important not to present older biographical information as necessarily current.

Career Timeline

Year	Career Milestone
2012	Ranked No. 1 in Idaho and among the top junior tennis players in the Pacific Northwest.
2018	Completed four years of collegiate tennis at Point University.
2018	Graduated with a Business Administration degree.
2019	Began competing professionally in pickleball.
2019	Started traveling regularly to professional pickleball tournaments.
2022	Won two Major League Pickleball championships.
2022 onward	Continued competing on major professional pickleball circuits.
2023 onward	Continued combining professional competition with coaching and pickleball development.
2026	Remains active on the professional pickleball circuit.

Rafa Hewett’s Career in 2026

As of 2026, Hewett remains an active professional pickleball player. His PPA profile lists him in men’s singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles. The profile also records him as a 2019 professional and identifies Auburn, Alabama, as his residence.

A current statistical database recorded 89 professional tournaments and 597 career matches through July 2026, with 271 wins and a 45.4% career win rate. These numbers are time-sensitive and can change as new matches are played.

His continuing participation shows that his professional story is still developing. His earlier MLP championships remain important milestones, but his ongoing PPA competition gives him opportunities to add new results to his career record.

Positive and Challenging Sides of His Career

The Positive Side

The strongest part of Hewett’s career is his ability to adapt. He began as a competitive tennis player, discovered pickleball relatively late compared with players who grew up in the sport, and nevertheless reached the professional level. His two MLP championships are evidence of how quickly he established himself.

His coaching work is another positive part of his story. By helping young players and building pickleball programs, he has contributed to the sport beyond his own tournament results.

The Challenging Side

Professional pickleball is highly competitive, and Hewett’s statistical record also includes many losses. A career win percentage below 50% illustrates that even an accomplished professional experiences significant setbacks.

The demands of professional travel, training, competition, coaching, and family responsibilities also make the lifestyle challenging. His career demonstrates that championship success requires persistence even when results do not always go in an athlete’s favor.

What Makes Rafa Hewett Notable?

Hewett stands out because his story connects several different parts of the pickleball world. He is a former high-level tennis player, a professional pickleball competitor, a two-time MLP champion, and a coach involved in developing younger athletes.

His transition also illustrates the changing nature of professional racquet sports. Tennis provided him with a strong foundation, but pickleball gave him a new professional opportunity. Instead of remaining tied to his first sport, he recognized the potential of a growing sport and built a career around it.

Conclusion

Rafa Hewett’s biography is ultimately a story about adaptation, competition, and persistence. His early achievements in tennis created the foundation for his athletic career, while his unexpected introduction to pickleball opened a completely new path. After turning professional in 2019, he quickly progressed through the competitive ranks and reached one of the highest points of his career with two Major League Pickleball championships in 2022.

His career is also broader than tournament results. Through his coaching work in Auburn, Alabama, he has helped develop programs for recreational and junior players while continuing to compete professionally. As of 2026, his professional journey is still active, meaning his career record and legacy in pickleball have room to grow.