This marks Waters' first official competition outside the United States. Waters has secured 181 PPA titles, including 41 "hat-tricks" where she won singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles at the same event. Despite being just 19 years old, Waters is widely recognized as the best female pickleball player of all time, holding the world number one ranking in all singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles categories.

Waters celebrates her "Triple Crown" – winning women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles at the Atlanta Championships in 5/2025. Photo: TDPickleball

Waters' strengths include her speed, rapid reflexes, and aggressive playing style, which makes it difficult for opponents to control the match tempo. As a result, she has faced few rivals in women's singles over recent years. Waters has won 22 consecutive PPA women's singles titles and has an undefeated record in 49 finals since 2022.

At the Hanoi Cup, Waters will compete in women's doubles with Anna Bright and in mixed doubles with Ben Johns, the world number one male player and a pickleball legend. After the tournament in Hanoi, Waters will travel to Ho Chi Minh City on 6-7/4 for training sessions and exhibition events.

Beyond Waters and Johns, the inaugural PPA Asia Tour 2026 event features renowned players such as Gabriel Tardio, Hayden Patriquin, Tyson McGuffin, Federico Staksrud, Tyra Black, and Dylan Frazier. Prominent Vietnamese stars including Ly Hoang Nam, Trinh Linh Giang, Phuc Huynh, Ken Tam, and Sophia Tran Phuong Anh are also participating. The event has attracted nearly 700 registered athletes, the highest number ever for a PPA Tour Asia tournament.

The PPA Asia 1000 - Hanoi Cup 2026 is the third PPA Tour Asia event held in Vietnam, following previous legs in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang in 2025. The tournament takes place from 1-5/4 at the My Dinh Indoor Athletics Palace, part of the My Dinh National Sports Complex in Hanoi, with a daily capacity of approximately 3,000 spectators.

The total prize money for the Hanoi Cup is about 300,000 USD, with the singles champion receiving 4,500 USD. Athletes who sign a contract with PPA Pro will receive an additional 33-100% in prize money.

2026 marks the first year the PPA Tour Asia will unify its ranking point system with the Carvana PPA Tour. Athletes competing at the Hanoi Cup 2026 will earn direct points for the world rankings. The champion receives 1,000 points, the runner-up 800 points, third place 400 points, and fourth place 200 points. Athletes reaching the quarterfinals, round of 1/16, and round of 1/32 will earn 100, 50, and 25 points respectively. This system offers Vietnamese and Asian athletes greater opportunities for international competition and integration.

The presence of the world's top two male and female players in Hanoi is expected to significantly boost the pickleball movement in Vietnam, a sport that has seen rapid growth in recent years. Waters and Johns' participation also highlights Vietnam's emerging status as a key destination for pickleball stars on the sport's global map.

Vy Anh