Asia's Top Pickleball Players Take Down Challengers in Thrilling Hangzhou Open Finale
In the season finale of the Professional Pickleball Association Asia Tour, 12 top-notch players gathered at the Vibrant Linping Hangzhou Open in China to battle for a $50k prize purse and crucial points. The event saw its fair share of upsets, with Ly Hong Nam emerging victorious in the men's singles category.
Nam, a five-time singles medal winner this year, took down the top seed and No. 2 ranked player in the world, Federico Staksrud, in the semifinals before defeating current No. 1 ranked Men's singles player on the Asian tour, Hong Kit Wong, in the final. Wong had previously dispatched Connor Garnett, the current No. 3 ranked player in the world, 3-4 in the quarters.
In a shocking turn of events, Nam defeated Garnett to claim his first PPA Asia gold and solidified his position as a force to be reckoned with in the Asian tour. This significant result is especially noteworthy as the PPA tour is beginning to sign Asian players to exclusive contracts, which should bring more of these talented athletes to the US.
Sahra Dennehy, meanwhile, won her third straight PPA International Women's singles title, solidifying her dominance in the women's category. She defeated Chao Yi Wang 7-2 in the final to claim gold, with Shenzhen's Yufei Long taking home the bronze for her sixth singles medal this season.
In a thrilling mixed doubles finale, top seeds Federico Staksrud and Alix Truong took down Eunggwon Kim and Nok Yiu Tang. This win marked Truong's double victory for the weekend, cementing her position as a powerhouse in the Asian tour.
The men's pro doubles saw an upset-filled draw, with Hien Truong and Quan Do taking out two top US-based PPA pro teams before defeating Federico Staksrud and Armaan Bhatia in a come-from-behind 3- game win. This marked Truong's first doubles medal of the season.
The women's pro doubles saw Alix Troung team up with Chao Yi Wang to claim the title, topping Yufei Long and Sahra Dennehy in the semifinals before dispatching Sarah Burr and Jamie Hass in the final.
With this conclusion to the 2025 PPA Asia Tour, fans are left eagerly awaiting news of upcoming events for the 2026 season.
In the season finale of the Professional Pickleball Association Asia Tour, 12 top-notch players gathered at the Vibrant Linping Hangzhou Open in China to battle for a $50k prize purse and crucial points. The event saw its fair share of upsets, with Ly Hong Nam emerging victorious in the men's singles category.
Nam, a five-time singles medal winner this year, took down the top seed and No. 2 ranked player in the world, Federico Staksrud, in the semifinals before defeating current No. 1 ranked Men's singles player on the Asian tour, Hong Kit Wong, in the final. Wong had previously dispatched Connor Garnett, the current No. 3 ranked player in the world, 3-4 in the quarters.
In a shocking turn of events, Nam defeated Garnett to claim his first PPA Asia gold and solidified his position as a force to be reckoned with in the Asian tour. This significant result is especially noteworthy as the PPA tour is beginning to sign Asian players to exclusive contracts, which should bring more of these talented athletes to the US.
Sahra Dennehy, meanwhile, won her third straight PPA International Women's singles title, solidifying her dominance in the women's category. She defeated Chao Yi Wang 7-2 in the final to claim gold, with Shenzhen's Yufei Long taking home the bronze for her sixth singles medal this season.
In a thrilling mixed doubles finale, top seeds Federico Staksrud and Alix Truong took down Eunggwon Kim and Nok Yiu Tang. This win marked Truong's double victory for the weekend, cementing her position as a powerhouse in the Asian tour.
The men's pro doubles saw an upset-filled draw, with Hien Truong and Quan Do taking out two top US-based PPA pro teams before defeating Federico Staksrud and Armaan Bhatia in a come-from-behind 3- game win. This marked Truong's first doubles medal of the season.
The women's pro doubles saw Alix Troung team up with Chao Yi Wang to claim the title, topping Yufei Long and Sahra Dennehy in the semifinals before dispatching Sarah Burr and Jamie Hass in the final.
With this conclusion to the 2025 PPA Asia Tour, fans are left eagerly awaiting news of upcoming events for the 2026 season.
- see how Ly Hong Nam went from underdog to champ after taking down top seeds? it shows that success isn't just about winning, but also about growing and learning from our mistakes. nam's journey teaches us that with hard work and perseverance, we can overcome even the toughest opponents 
It's just not that competitive. I got a better chance at winning my fantasy football league than some random Asian dude picking up a paddle and hitting a ball around. And don't even get me started on the scheduling - Hangzhou, China in November? That's just crazy talk! 
Who thought that was a good idea?
! He's been on fire all season and it's awesome to see him finally take down the top seed, Federico Staksrud 
. And congrats to Sahra Dennehy on her third straight title - she's a beast on the court 
! The PPA Asia Tour has been serving up some amazing competition this season, and I'm hyped to see what next year brings 
! I'm loving how Ly Hong Nam took down the top seed and No. 1 ranked player in the world, Federico Staksrud, to claim his first PPA Asia gold 
! He's definitely solidifying his position as a force to be reckoned with in the Asian tour 
.
! Winning her third straight International Women's singles title is impressive, and I'm excited to see what next season holds for her 
. The mixed doubles final was also insane, with top seeds Federico Staksrud and Alix Truong taking down the competition 
. It's awesome to see more Asian players getting signed to exclusive contracts, it's going to be exciting to see them compete in the US next season 
. Bring on 2026! 
anyway let's just focus on ly nam being an amazing pickleball player now