Ly Hoang Nam shock

The announcement that Vietnam's number 1 tennis player Ly Hoang Nam would stop competing professionally in order to switch to playing pickleball shocked the Vietnamese tennis community.

Ly Hoang Nam turns to professional pickleball - Photo: KMT

Ly Hoang Nam's announcement to stop playing professional tennis was like a bomb exploding during a time when the tennis movement was quiet, and at the same time it made the pickleball community excited because the player born in 1997 is still a monument in the tennis world despite not competing for almost a year.

According to the ATP rankings, Ly Hoang Nam was ranked 231 on November 28, 2022. He earned $131,000 from prizes throughout his singles and doubles career. He is currently ranked 744, down 1 place and has no recent competition activity data.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Son, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Tennis Federation, said: "The decision to quit or stay in competition is up to each individual. Pickleball is a natural transition. We regret that we have not heard Nam's answer whether he will continue to join the national team or not. However, Vietnamese tennis still has other promising players to inherit."

Meanwhile, former coach of the Vietnamese tennis team, Mr. Truong Quang Vu - who is currently the director of Asian pickleball talent development - said: "Ly Hoang Nam is 28 years old and is no longer at his peak to advance in tennis. At the same time, without finance, it is very difficult to maintain competing in international tournaments. Not only Nam has been out of competition for almost a year, other players such as Linh Giang and Vinh Hien are also playing pickleball."

The turning point for Ly Hoang Nam came when he received a large sponsorship package from a sports brand that was expanding into pickleball. Nam was invested in his own image, racket products, and brand ambassadors. This made him relive his peak period in tennis when he was 22-23 years old.

Before announcing his retirement from professional tennis, Ly Hoang Nam had a full pickleball schedule every weekend. He recently won the 2025 National Pickleball Championship in the men's under-35 team event in Ba Ria - Vung Tau .

Nam's wife, Phuong Trinh, is also a fan of pickleball. Everything supported Hoang Nam's decision to switch to pickleball.

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QUANG THINH