Facing his younger compatriot, Hoang Nam quickly fell behind 2-5 in the opening set. However, he swiftly regained control, unleashing powerful forehand and backhand drives. The 29-year-old prevented Vinh Hien from scoring any further points, securing an 11-5 comeback victory with a dominant scoring run at the end of the set.

Vinh Hien started the second set strongly, taking a 5-2 lead with effective net plays. Hoang Nam's composure allowed him to quickly level the score at 5-5, then 6-6. He then broke away, delivering powerful and precise net shots to secure an 11-6 win, closing out the final in two sets.

Hoang Nam (left) and Vinh Hien on the podium with Vietnamese flags at My Dinh Athletics Palace, Hanoi on 5/4. *Photo: Giang Huy*

This victory allowed Hoang Nam to avenge his loss to Vinh Hien in a controversial semifinal at the PPA Tour Asia - MB Vietnam Cup 2025. The PPA Hanoi Cup title marks the second men's singles championship for the Tay Ninh native within the PPA Asia Tour system. He previously claimed a title last December, defeating Jack Wong at the PPA Tour Asia event in Hangzhou, China.

On his path to the championship, Hoang Nam overcame world number 4 Christian Alshon. Vinh Hien also defeated world number 2 Federico Staksrud. The presence of two home players in the final underscores the growing strength of Vietnamese pickleball on the international stage.

Born in Tay Ninh in 1997, Hoang Nam displayed a natural talent for tennis from the age of 7. Two years later, he began playing professionally in Binh Duong. At 15 years and 8 months, Ly Hoang Nam became the 2012 national tennis champion. In 2015, Hoang Nam partnered with Sumit Nagal of India to win the boys' doubles title at Wimbledon Juniors.

During his international tennis career, Hoang Nam reached 21 professional ITF Men’s World Tennis finals, winning 11 of them. On 28/11/2022, Ly Hoang Nam achieved his highest ATP ranking of 231.

After over 20 years dedicated to tennis, Vietnam's top male player transitioned to pickleball in early 2025. He rapidly ascended to the world top 20, reaching 19th on the PPA Tour rankings after just one year of competition.

Hoang Nam celebrates his men's singles final victory at the PPA Hanoi Cup, held at My Dinh Athletics Palace, Hanoi on 4/4. *Photo: Giang Huy*

The PPA Asia 1000 - Hanoi Cup 2026, held from 1 to 5/4 at My Dinh Athletics Palace, attracted the largest contingent of PPA Pro players ever seen in Asia. This marks the third time the PPA Tour Asia has been hosted in Vietnam, following events in TP HCM and Da Nang last year.

The Hanoi Cup offered a total prize pool of approximately 300,000 USD, with men's singles champion Ly Hoang Nam receiving 4,500 USD.

The 2026 season marks the first year the PPA Tour Asia has aligned its ranking point system with the Carvana PPA Tour. Athletes competing at the Hanoi Cup 2026 will earn points directly towards their world ranking. The champion receives 1,000 points, the runner-up 800 points, third place 400 points, and fourth place 200 points. Competitors reaching the quarterfinals, round of 16, and round of 32 will earn 100, 50, and 25 points respectively.

Vy Anh