What’s the Score?
The PPA Tour Asia’s season finale, the Hangzhou Open 2025, concluded in China with a series of historic firsts and dominant performances. Alix Truong emerged as the tournament’s standout player, securing two gold medals in a display of versatility and skill. The event also saw a major upset in the men’s singles bracket, with Vietnam’s Hoang Nam Ly defeating the world number two to take the title. Perhaps most significantly for the sport’s global growth, Mongolia claimed its first-ever PPA Tour Asia medal, marking a breakthrough for the landlocked nation in international competition.
Hit it deeper!
Alix Truong was the undisputed queen of the court in Hangzhou. Her campaign began with a gold medal in Women’s Doubles alongside partner Zoey Wang. The pair dropped only one set throughout the tournament—during the semifinals against Sahra Dennehy and Yufei Long—before sweeping the American duo of Sarah Burr and Jamie Haas 11–8, 11–6 in the final. Truong didn’t stop there; she paired with Federico Staksrud, the world number two in men’s singles, to capture the Mixed Doubles title. Despite Staksrud suffering a shock exit in his singles campaign, he found redemption with Truong, defeating the pair of Kim Eunggwon and Nok Yiu Tang 11-9, 11-1 in the final.
The Men’s Singles division provided the tournament’s Cinderella story. Hoang Nam Ly of Vietnam played the tournament of his life, first stunning top-seeded Staksrud in the semifinals and then demolishing Hong Kong’s Jack Wong 11-4, 11-4 in the championship match. This victory earned Ly his first-ever PPA Tour Asia gold, cementing his status as a rising star in the region.
On the amateur side, history was made by Mongolia. Gantulga Zagdsuren, a board member of the Mongolian Pickleball Association, teamed up with China’s Zhu Jian Guo in the 35+ division. The pair fought their way to the finals, eventually securing a silver medal after a loss to the Chinese team of Hao Sun and Bin Yuan. This achievement represents the first time a Mongolian player has podiumed at a PPA Tour Asia event, signalling the sport’s expanding reach into Central and East Asia.
In other brackets, Australia’s Sahra Dennehy capped a successful season by winning the Women’s Singles gold, her second PPA Tour Asia title, after a clinical 11-7, 11-2 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Chao Yi Wang. The Men’s Doubles gold went to the dynamic Vietnamese pair of Hien Truong and Quan Do, who upset the high-powered team of Staksrud and Armaan Bhatia in a three-set thriller.
The World Pickleball Verdict
The Hangzhou Open 2025 serves as a potent reminder that the centre of gravity in pickleball is shifting. While the US remains the mothership, the depth of talent in Asia—from Vietnam and Australia to emerging markets like Mongolia—is growing at an exponential rate. Hoang Nam Ly’s dismantling of a top-ranked Western pro like Staksrud proves that the gap between established American stars and Asian challengers is closing. Furthermore, the diverse podium, featuring winners from multiple nations, validates the PPA Tour Asia’s mission to globalize the sport effectively.
Chris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at all levels of pickleball. Chris is also an avid player, currently struggling to make the breakthrough from 4.0 to 4.5.