Vietnam's tennis star quits to pursue pickleball career

Updated: 22:02, 22/03/2025

After more than two decades on the tennis court, Vietnam's top male player Ly Hoang Nam has officially announced his transition to pickleball, marking a new chapter in his sporting career.

On March 19 in Hanoi, Nam appeared at a press event where he was named pickleball ambassador for a Vietnamese sportswear brand. At the event, the 1997-born athlete confirmed that he will temporarily step away from tennis to focus entirely on this fast-growing sport.

Ly Hoang Nam (L) and Trinh Linh Gia during a men's doubles pickleball match in March 2025.

"I have decided to temporarily stop my tennis career to focus on pickleball," Nam said. "Right now, I'm competing in domestic tournaments, but after a period of gaining experience, I plan to compete across Asia, then Europe and America."

Pickleball, a hybrid of tennis badminton, and table tennis, was created in 1965 in Washington, the U.S. It is played on a smaller court than tennis and uses a lightweight ball with small holes.

The sport first appeared in Vietnam in 2018, but gained major popularity in early 2024, despite some controversies, including debates over competition attire.

The sport's accessibility for all ages and rapid development in Vietnam has attracted several former tennis players, including Nam's close friend Trinh Linh Giang, who made the switch earlier. Initially trying pickleball out of curiosity, Nam soon decided to fully commit to the sport, seeking fresh challenges.

"Pickleball is growing quickly in Vietnam, with many tournaments being held," he noted. "We're also seeing international players coming here to compete and exchange experiences. I see this as a great opportunity to learn and grow."

Thanks to his strong athletic foundation, Nam adapted quickly to pickleball. Since late 2024, he has won six men's doubles titles in pickleball with Giang, competing in tournaments across Lao Cai, Ba Ria–Vung Tau, Hai Duong, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Among these was the 2025 national championship, where they won the men's doubles under-35 title. Nam has now set his sights on winning a singles title in the sport.

Nam's last professional tennis tournament was at the M25 Nakhon Si Thammarat event in Thailand in September 2024, where he lost in the first round to Adhithya Ganesan, a player ranked 600 places below him at the time. Nam now remains Vietnam's number one male tennis player, currently 744th on the ATP Tour ranking.

Born in the southeastern province of Tay Ninh, Nam showed tennis talent at age 7 and turned professional at just 9. He became national champion at age 15, and in 2015, made history by winning the Wimbledon junior doubles title with Sumit Nagal of India.

Throughout his international career, he claimed 11 ITF titles out of 21 finals, reached the SEA Games men's singles final three times and won two gold medals (2019 and 2022). In 2022, he began climbing the ATP Challenger ranks, finishing runner-up at the ATP Challenger 50 Bangkok Open.

His highest ATP singles ranking came on Nov. 28, 2022, when he was placed 231st in the world.

Nam later set ambitious goals of breaking into the ATP top 100 and qualifying for a Grand Slam, coming close after competing in Challenger 80, 100 and 120 events.

His biggest tournament appearance came in October 2023 at the Shanghai Masters 1000, where he entered as a wildcard and lost in the first qualifying round to Steven Diez of Canada.