Local Pros Hold Their Own In The Kickoff Of The 2026 Pro Pickleball Association Asian Tour In Vietnam

The PPA's first major Asian event of the year saw international players make deep runs against top US pros.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 1:08pm

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The Professional Pickleball Association's 2026 Asian Tour kicked off with the HB Vietnam Open in Ho Chi Minh City, drawing a large contingent of traveling US-based pros to compete against Asia and Australia's best players. The event featured several upsets, with international players like Hong Kit Wong, Hoang Nam Ly, and Hien Truong advancing deep into the singles and doubles draws and pushing the top American pros. In the end, the local players showed how far the sport has progressed in the region, with Hoang Nam Ly taking the men's singles title and several other Asian teams and players earning medals.

Why it matters

The strong performance of Asian players at the HB Vietnam Open highlights the growth of pickleball in the region and the increasing competitiveness of international talent compared to the dominant American pros. This event signals that the PPA's Asian expansion is yielding talented new players who can compete at the highest levels of the sport globally.

The details

The men's singles final saw an all-Asian matchup between Hoang Nam Ly and Hien Truong, with Hoang emerging victorious. Other international standouts included Hong Kit Wong, who pushed top seed Federico Staksrud to the limit in the quarterfinals, and Pei-Chuan Kao of Taiwan, who made a strong run to the women's singles quarterfinals. In doubles, teams from Asia and Australia also made deep runs, with Hong Kit Wong and Eunggwon Kim advancing to the men's quarterfinals before falling to the eventual champions.

  • The HB Vietnam Open took place on April 4-6, 2026.
  • The next PPA tour stop is a 125-level event in Redcliff, Australia on April 12-14, 2026.
  • The 2026 Sacramento Open in California will follow, featuring the tour's normal paddles unlike the previous year's event.

The players

Hong Kit Wong

A pro player from Hong Kong who won the March 2026 PPA Australia Sydney event and pushed top seed Federico Staksrud to the limit in the Vietnam Open quarterfinals.

Hoang Nam Ly

The winner of the men's singles title at the 2026 HB Vietnam Open, defeating Hien Truong in the final.

Hien Truong

The runner-up in the men's singles event at the 2026 HB Vietnam Open, falling to Hoang Nam Ly in the final.

Pei-Chuan Kao

A Taiwanese player who made a strong run to the women's singles quarterfinals at the 2026 HB Vietnam Open.

Ben Johns

The top-seeded player who won the mixed doubles title at the 2026 HB Vietnam Open partnering with Anna Leigh Waters.

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What they’re saying

“This tournament featured more than a dozen traveling USA-signed pros (Bhatia, Devilliers, Staksrud, Funemizu, Devilliers, Hovenier, Frazier, Oncins, Shimabukoro, and Alshon), comprising dozens of medals on the domestic tour, but none of them made the final.”

— Todd Boss, Author

“Bravo for the PPA Asia pros stepping up here, and showing the world just how far they've come since pro pickleball took off in the region.”

— Todd Boss, Author

What’s next

The PPA tour will next head to Redcliff, Australia for a 125-level event on April 12-14, 2026, before returning stateside for the 2026 Sacramento Open in California.

The takeaway

The strong performances by international players at the HB Vietnam Open demonstrate the rapid growth of pickleball in Asia and Australia, with local pros now able to compete at the highest levels against the dominant American players on the PPA tour. This signals a new era of global competitiveness in the sport.