Defeating Asia's No. 1 tennis player, Ly Hoang Nam won the PPA Tour Asia championship for the first time.

Ly Hoang Nam made history for Vietnamese pickleball when he defeated Jack Wong in the final of PPA Tour Asia 2025, winning the first men's singles title of his career.

Defeating Jack Wong - Asia's number one tennis player, Hoang Nam won the PPA Tour title for the first time. Photo: TTVN

On the afternoon of December 6 in Hangzhou (China), Ly Hoang Nam entered the final match of PPA Tour Asia 2025 against Asia's number one player Jack Wong. This is considered Hoang Nam's biggest challenge since switching to pickleball. However, in the most important match, he demonstrated the most impressive performance and spirit of his career, thereby bringing home his first PPA Tour championship title.

As soon as the match started, Jack Wong quickly took a four-point lead, putting Hoang Nam in a passive position. However, his international competition experience and tennis skills helped the Vietnamese player not to be discouraged. He gradually regained his rhythm, tied the match at 4-4, then exploded strongly to end set 1 with an 11-4 victory. The beautiful comeback in the first set created important psychological momentum, surprising his opponent and exciting the audience.

Ly Hoang Nam won the PPA Tour Asia 2025. Photo: TTVN

In the second set, Hoang Nam continued to dominate the game. He persistently played, controlled the back of the court and continuously forced Jack Wong to make mistakes. The score quickly increased to 8-1 for Hoang Nam. Although Jack had points shortened to 4-9, Hoang Nam still kept his composure to close the match with an 11-4 victory. In the end, he won convincingly 2-0.

This title is especially meaningful because this is the first time Hoang Nam has won the PPA Tour since switching to pickleball - a sport that has exploded in Asia. Just one day before, he created a big shock when he defeated world number 2 Federico Staksrud in the semi-finals. That victory not only paved the way for the final but also affirmed Hoang Nam's level and potential in the new professional competition environment.

Before the tournament, Hoang Nam was the only one in the “Big 4 Vietnamese pickleball” group who had never won the PPA Tour. Now, the championship in Hangzhou not only helped him change his position but also strongly inspired the Vietnamese pickleball movement. This is also a sign that Vietnamese athletes can completely compete fairly on the international stage.

PPA Tour Asia Hangzhou Open 2025 gathers 372 players, is the final stage of the season and has a total prize fund of 50,000 USD. In the midst of such a fierce playing field, Ly Hoang Nam's championship is the clearest proof of the rapid growth and the ability to reach the international map of Vietnamese pickleball.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ha-tay-vot-so-1-chau-a-ly-hoang-nam-lan-dau-vo-dich-ppa-tour-asia-725899.html