A question I often get from people who have just arrived in Vietnam is, "I don't know anyone here, so how do I find people to play with?" To put the conclusion first, in Ho Chi Minh Cityyou can usually find someone to hit with even if you show up at the court alone. In my own case, I have hit far more often, and with a far wider range of partners, since I started getting out there than during the period when I stuck to my own circle. There are three main ways to meet people to play with, and on top of those there are online spaces useful for doing your homework before you head to the court.
The surest route is to sign up for a social
A social is a pickleball meetup. In Ho Chi Minh City one is held somewhere every day, and in the ones I have joined, 10 to 30 people turn up. Strangers keep swapping partners as the rotation goes on, so nobody stands out for signing up alone.
They can run every day simply because courts and players keep increasing. Court facilities in Ho Chi Minh City have grown to around 1,000, so organizers find it easy to secure a venue. On the player side, searching on a weekday evening for "is anything open tonight" usually turns up something.In Japan, trying to gather players in the same skill band on a regular basis runs into a numbers barrier; here that barrier is low。
Sign-ups gather on Reclub
Most sign-ups go through an app called Reclub. The communities around Ho Chi Minh City list dozens of clubs, and the larger ones have more than 8,000 members. Dates and times, venues, fees and skill requirements are all listed, so you pick a slot that fits your day and lock it in. How to arrange court time directly over Zalo is covered inZalo reservation article, butwhen it comes to finding socials, looking at Reclub is by far the quickest。
Check the skill requirement first
Some slots specify a skill level. The floor differs by slot, at DUPR 2.5 and up, 3.0 and up or 3.5 and up, and if you fall short it is usually left to the host to decide whether to let you in. If you have just started, go for slots with no requirement; if you want to test yourself, signing up for a higher slot is an option. I wrote about the difference in atmosphere here inImpressions of Vietnamese players, and whether a slot is scored changes the mood quite a bit.
Getting invited on court happens all the time
The second route is being asked on the spot. Courts in Vietnam are open places, and conversations with people on the next court start easily.The most common trigger is a group being short of players. Doubles takes four, so a group of three is looking for one more. If you are hitting nearby, that is when you get asked.
I have been folded into games this way several times. Sometimes it ends there for the day, but if you click, the talk turns to playing together again. It is not something you can make happen on purpose, butthe longer you spend at the court on your own, the higher the odds. Just dropping the habit of turning up, saying nothing and going home changes what you see. How to strike up a conversation and how waiting turns work are covered inthe article on court etiquette.
Partners from scored games tend to stick
The third route is games that count for DUPR. The ones I join run about two hours with roughly eight players, rotating partners as they go. It is serious competition, so "relaxed" is not the word, butonce it is over, you end up oddly close to the people you fought alongside。
Because these slots gather players of similar level, the people you meet there tend to stay on as practice partners. Socials when I just want to hit for fun, scored slots when I want a practice partner: that is how I split them.
Whether it leads anywhere is decided on the spot
Not everyone you hit with stays in touch. What carries over is when you hit it off and swap contacts right there. Messaging in Vietnam runs on Zalo, so what you exchange is usually Zalo.If you think you clicked, do it before you leave the court. If you try to track someone down later, socials draw a different crowd each time, so there is no guarantee you will run into them again.
| Entry point | How you meet | Who It's Suited To |
|---|---|---|
| Socials (Reclub) | Certain if you sign up. Different faces every time | People who just arrived and know no one |
| Being asked on court | By chance. You get asked when a group is short | People who go to the same court regularly |
| Scored slots | Gathers players of similar level | People looking for a practice partner |
Courtside note: three things to check before you sign up
Even when it is called a "social," what happens varies by slot. On the listing page, check three things: the skill requirement (whether a DUPR floor is attached), how scores are handled (whether they go to DUPR or it is just a game), and the capacity and time. Know those three and you will almost never arrive to find it was not what you expected. Score handling in particular changes how tired you get that day, so check it in advance.
Where to look before you head to the court
For gathering information before going to a court, Facebook communities matter most. The public group "Pickleball Saigon" had more than 45,000 members as of August 2026, and court information, tournaments and social listings all flow through it. If you only want to find a place to play in Ho Chi Minh City, watching that group alone tells you a lot.
On top of that, messaging in Vietnam runs on Zalo. Courts and clubs often have their own Zalo groups, and once you join a social somewhere you may get invited in.Once you make it to that first session, the connections start forming on their ownis how it feels from experience.
Start with a place to play. Search courts by area and conditions.
Summary
There is no need to brace yourself for making friends. Sign up for one social, or go to the court alone and stay a little longer than usual. Vietnam is in the middle of adding both courts and socials, so there are plenty of ways in. The hard part is not finding them, it is signing up for that first one.
The differences between courts by area are covered inthe guide to courts in Ho Chi Minh City, how to play around the rainy season is inPlaying in the Rainy Season, and putting your gear together locally is in thepaddle shop guide.
(Written by Rei Kojima, based in Vietnam)
