ベトナムのテニス元国内1位リー・ホアンナム（29歳）が、ピックルボールに転向してわずか1年余りで世界シングルス14位にまで駆け上がった。2026年4月5日のPPA Asia 1000 ハノイカップ決勝でチュオン・ヴィン・ヒエンを破り、3,100ポイントを獲得。世界13位・3,587ポイントのベン・ジョンズまで487ポイント差に接近している。テニスで培ったフットワークとボールコントロールが競技転向でどこまで通用するか――その答えを、ホアンナムは結果で示しつつある。
Details of the PPA Asia Hanoi Cup 2026
In the men’s singles at the PPA Asia 1000 Hanoi Cup held in Hanoi on April 5, Nam pulled off an upset in the quarterfinals, beating world No. 4 Christian Alshon (USA). In the final he won an all-Vietnam clash with compatriot Truong Vinh Hien to take his second career PPA Asia Tour title. His first came at the 2025 Hangzhou event in China, where he defeated Jack Wong.
この優勝によりDUPRレーティングは6.267に上昇し、アジア1位にランクされた。ヒエンも世界17位・2,500ポイントまで浮上し、ベトナム勢がアジアのシングルス競技を牽引する構図が鮮明になった。
From tennis to pickleball—the background to the switch
Nam was born on February 25, 1997. In tennis, he won the 2015 Wimbledon Junior doubles paired with India’s Sumit Nagal, becoming the first Vietnamese to win a Grand Slam title. With a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 231 (November 2022) and a Davis Cup record of 25 wins and 10 losses, he holds the best achievements in Vietnamese tennis history.
He made a full-fledged switch to pickleball in early 2025. The footwork, accurate ball control, and sharp reflexes he honed in tennis became weapons as they were, and he has kept producing results at international tournaments right from the switch.
Comparison data for Nam and Ben Johns
| Metric | Ly Hoang Nam, | Ben Johns |
|---|---|---|
| World singles ranking | No. 14 | No. 13 |
| Cumulative points | 3,100 | 3,587 |
| Point gap | 487 points | |
| DUPR Rating | 6.267 | Undisclosed (an all-time-high level) |
| Triple Crowns | None | 21 times |
| World No. 1 in doubles/mixed | None | Yes (current world No. 1 in both categories) |
| 2026 singles final match | April Hanoi Cup (won) | February Mesa Cup |
| Sport before the switch | Tennis (ATP No. 231) | Tennis (college level) |
The world’s reaction
Asian pickleball stakeholders:Voices are emerging such as, “Nam’s success has proved that a tennis player’s switch leads directly to the top of singles. It will become the trigger for Asian tennis players to turn their eyes en masse to pickleball.”
The PPA Asia organizers:In response to the excitement of the Hanoi Cup, they are considering adding a leg in Vietnam. Nam’s presence is boosting the tour’s commercial value on both the ticket-sales and sponsor-acquisition fronts.
The Ben Johns camp:In the 2026 season, Johns is limiting his singles appearances and focusing on doubles. Some observe that an overtaking in the singles ranking is “a matter of time,” but others see that if Johns gets serious about singles, the skill gap is still large.
Implications for Japanese players
In Japan too, cases of people with tennis or table-tennis experience switching to pickleball are increasing. Nam’s example showed that “a former pro tennis player’s footwork and mentality become an overwhelming advantage in pickleball singles.” For Japanese tennis coaches and retired players, pickleball is taking on a real quality as a second-career option.
Also,15-year-old Tama ShimabukuroTogether with the flow of younger generations succeeding internationally in pickleball, moves for Japanese players to enter the Asia Tour will likely increase going forward.
The ripple effects of switching from tennis to pickleball
Not only Nam, but switches from tennis to pickleball are accelerating in countries around the world. Examples of players who retired from the ATP Tour joining the PPA Tour have become no longer rare in North America, and in Asia the flow has begun in earnest, starting with Vietnam.
While this phenomenon raises the level of pickleball competition in a short time, it also breeds friction with “homegrown pickleball” players. If the tennis converts monopolize the top of the rankings, debate over the sport’s identity is unavoidable.The unified rulebookIn parallel with developing it, how to design the seeding allocation and eligibility of converted players will become a focal point going forward.
ホアンナムの直近の成績と目標
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Recent results | PPA Asia 1000 Hanoi Cup, winner (April 5, 2026) |
| Cumulative PPA Asia titles | 2 wins (Hangzhou 2025, Hanoi 2026) |
| Current DUPR | 6.267 (No. 1 in Asia) |
| World-ranking goal | Breaking into the top 10 |
| Career tennis | Wimbledon Jr. doubles champion, career-high ATP No. 231, Davis Cup 25 wins and 10 losses |
Summary
リー・ホアンナムのピックルボール転向は、単なる「元テニス選手の余技」ではない。わずか1年で世界14位に到達し、ベン・ジョンズとのポイント差が487ポイント差に縮まった事実は、ピックルボールのシングルス競技がテニスのスキルセットと高い互換性を持つことの証明だ。アジア発のスター選手がグローバルランキングを揺るがす時代が、すでに始まっている。
