Giang's victory at the Panas Malaysia Open on 6/7 earned him 1,000 points in the men's singles PPA Tour Asia rankings. Runner-up Vanshik Kapadia of India has 800 points, while Hong Kong's Wong Hong Kit sits in third place with 600 points.

Born in 1997, Hanoi native Giang was formerly a top tennis star in Vietnam, contributing significantly to the national team in the Davis Cup and other regional tournaments. With the rise of pickleball, he transitioned to the sport and often partners with Ly Hoang Nam, Vietnam's former number one tennis player, in major domestic, regional, and international tournaments.

Trinh Linh Giang competing at the 2025 Panas Malaysia Open pickleball tournament. Photo: PPA Tour Asia

Trinh Linh Giang competing at the 2025 Panas Malaysia Open pickleball tournament. Photo: PPA Tour Asia

The PPA Tour Asia features a three-tiered tournament structure: Slam, Cup, and Open. Points earned contribute to the rankings, determining player seeding for future events.

Following the Malaysian tournament, the PPA Tour Asia will host Open events in Hong Kong from 21/8 to 24/8, Japan from 26/8 to 31/8, and Vietnam from 4/9 to 7/9, followed by a Cup event in Malaysia from 9/10 to 12/10.

Multiple ranking systems exist in global pickleball, with the PPA Tour and DUPR being the most prominent.

The PPA Tour, originating in the USA–the birthplace of pickleball–features 25 domestic tournaments in 2025, categorized into Slam (champion receives 2,000 points), Cup (1,500 points), Open (1,000 points), and Challenger (125 points). Argentina's Federico Staksrud currently holds the top men's ranking.

The US PPA Tour rankings are updated after each tournament with two categories: "The Rank" reflects points earned in the last 52 weeks, while "The Race" tracks points earned during the current calendar year. At the end of each season, the top eight players compete in the PPA Finals, similar to the ATP Finals in tennis.

Pickleball also uses the DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) system globally for all levels, regardless of age, gender, or experience. Points are calculated based on match results, the number of matches played, and opponent skill level. Players earn more points for defeating stronger opponents.

As of the 9/7/2025 update, Staksrud also leads the DUPR rankings, while Vietnamese-born Quang Duong ranks 7th.

Trung Thu