The most dominant player in pickleball is in Asia for the first time. Anna Leigh Waters headlines the MB Hanoi Cup as PPA Tour Asia opens its 2026 calendar with its biggest event to date, and she brings more than 190 career golds with her, per the tour.
The essentials
Dates | April 1 to 5, 2026 |
Venue | My Dinh Indoor Athletics Arena, Hanoi |
Pro prize money | up to US$300,000 |
Field | 240 pro players and 450 amateurs from 25 territories |
Tier | PPA Asia 1000: 1000 ranking points to each champion, the tour's largest purse yet |
Pro schedule | Qualifying Wednesday, main draw from Thursday, quarterfinals Friday, semifinals Saturday, finals Sunday |
Stop | First of 10 on the 2026 calendar, and the tour's third visit to Vietnam after the 2025 MB Vietnam Open and MB Vietnam Cup |
Time difference | Vietnam is one hour behind Malaysia |
Official results | pickleballtournaments.com |
Storylines
Waters and Johns, together and apart
Anna Leigh Waters (USA) makes her international debut as the top seed in both Women's Doubles, with Anna Bright (USA), and Mixed Doubles, with Ben Johns (USA). Johns is the Men's Doubles top seed with Gabriel Tardio (BOL) and is still chasing a first Men's Doubles gold in Asia after a silver and a bronze in 2025.
Staksrud and Fahey at the top of the singles draws
Federico Staksrud (ARG), the world No. 2, tops Men's Singles after his bronze at December's Hangzhou Open and can reclaim the No. 1 ranking with the 1000 points on offer. Kate Fahey (USA), the world No. 2 in Women's Singles with five singles golds among her 21 PPA medals, is the top seed on her Asia debut. Three-time PPA Tour Asia Women's Singles champion Yufei Long (CHN) is a possible round of 16 opponent. Sahra Dennehy (AUS) is seeded sixth but closed 2025 with back-to-back golds at the MB Vietnam Cup and Hangzhou.
A wave of debutants
Christian Alshon (USA), the Panas Malaysia Cup champion, is the second seed in Men's Singles and Connor Garnett (USA), the Fukuoka triple crown winner, is third. Making their Asia debuts alongside Waters and Fahey: Dylan Frazier, Jay Devilliers, Brooke Buckner, Tyra Black, Catherine Parenteau, Riley Newman, Collin Johns and Tardio. Luc Pham partners Garnett as the seventh Men's Doubles seed.
Wong and the home hopes
Hong Kit Wong (HKG), the most decorated man of the inaugural season with nine medals including Hong Kong Open gold and Hangzhou silver, is the sixth seed in Men's Singles. Hangzhou champion Hoang Nam Ly, Hien Truong and Phuc Huynh carry Vietnam's hopes at My Dinh.
Malaysians in the draw
Jimmy Liong (MAS) is in the Men's Singles main draw and pairs with Roman Estareja (MAS) in Men's Doubles. Athilla Miasara (MAS) is in the Women's Singles draw.
Prize money and points
Up to US$300,000 (about RM1.26 million) across the five pro events. *PPA Pro signed players receive a 100 percent bonus payment. **PPA Pro signed players receive a 33 percent bonus payment.
Singles (US$) | Doubles (US$) | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
Gold | 4,500* | 7,500* | 1000 |
Silver | 3,000* | 5,000* | 800 |
Bronze | 2,625** | 4,500** | 600 |
4th | 1,800** | 3,000** | 400 |
Quarterfinal | 1,300 | 2,500 | 200 |
Round of 16 | 800 | 1,500 | 100 |
Round of 32 | 500 | 1,000 | 50 |
Next on the tour
Hanoi opens a 10-stop 2026 calendar. The next stop is the Panas Kuala Lumpur Open, May 13 to 17. Schedules for every stop are on events.thepicklebase.com.