{"id":1021,"date":"2026-04-08T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pickle-times.com\/news\/mb-hanoi-cup-ppa-asia-tour-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T01:55:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T16:55:59","slug":"mb-hanoi-cup-ppa-asia-tour-2026","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/pickle-times.com\/en\/news\/mb-hanoi-cup-ppa-asia-tour-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"PPA\u2019s first Asia tour \u201cMB Hanoi Cup 2026\u201d is held April 1\u20135\u2014800 participants, and Anna Leigh Waters\u2019s first international tournament"},"content":{"rendered":"

From April 1 to 5, 2026, the \u201cMB Hanoi Cup 2026 (MB Hanoi Cup)<\/strong>\u201d was held in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. This is thefirst international tournament held in Asia by the PPA Tour,<\/strong>and it became a milestone symbolizing the spread of pickleball to the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific region of recent years.<\/p>\n

Tournament overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/strong><\/td>\nDetails<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Name<\/td>\nMB Hanoi Cup 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Period<\/td>\nApril 1 to 5, 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Venues<\/td>\nMy Dinh Indoor Athletics Arena (Hanoi, Vietnam)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Number of participants<\/td>\nAbout 800 (a mix of amateur and pro)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PPA points<\/td>\n1,000 points to the winner (equivalent to U.S. domestic open tournaments)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Official ball<\/td>\nJOOLA<\/a> HC-40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Historic significance\u2014PPA\u2019s first Asian edition<\/h2>\n

The PPA Tour (Professional Pickleball Association) has held numerous tournaments a year, centered on North America, butthis is the first time it has held a tour in Asia.<\/strong>From the perspective of pickleball\u2019s internationalization, the significance this tournament holds is very great.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the pro player who boasts the most titles in pickleball history,Anna Leigh Waters (Anna Leigh Waters<\/a>\uff09<\/strong>for whom this washer first overseas tournament,<\/strong>also drew attention. With the world\u2019s best player appearing on an Asian stage for the first time, the pickleball fervor across all of Asia rose another notch.<\/p>\n

The \u201cJOOLA HC-40\u201d\u2014an Asia-spec slow ball<\/h2>\n

Several participating pros testified that the official ball used in this tournament, the \u201cJOOLA HC-40,\u201d was\u201cconsiderably slower\u201d<\/strong>than the ball usually used at U.S. domestic tournaments. In pickleball, where ball speed greatly affects gameplay, the choice of ball is an important element that shapes tactics and how a match develops.<\/p>\n

It is drawing attention as a ball choice suited to Asia\u2019s high-temperature, high-humidity environment, showing that an \u201cAsian standard\u201d for the Asia tour is emerging.<\/p>\n

Notable pro players and the format<\/h2>\n

More than 25 top U.S. pros participated, including Anna Leigh Waters,Ben Johns<\/a>Anna Bright, Hayden Patriquin, and Christian Alshon,<\/strong>waging fierce battles together with pro and amateur players from the Asia-Pacific region.<\/p>\n

The tournament format adopts a \u201cprogressive draw method,\u201d characterized by a compact progression that gets through the round of 32 and the round of 16 within the same day.<\/p>\n

Asian pickleball\u2014the ripple effect on Japan<\/h2>\n

This tournament was held in Vietnam, but it carries important meaning for Japan\u2019s pickleball community too. The establishment of the PPA Asia Tour suggeststhe possibility that an official international tournament will be held in Japan too in the near future.<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In India, the \u201cIndia Open,\u201d sanctioned by the IPA (International Pickleball Association), was held for the first time in early April, with more than 1,500 participants from over 15 countries. Playing populations are also surging in South Korea and Taiwan, and the pickleball fervor across the Asia-Pacific region is certainly rising.<\/p>\n

Also,Domestically, a dedicated facility with six courts opened in Sakai City,<\/a>and so on, and in Japan too the development of infrastructure is advancing steadily.<\/p>\n

Summary<\/h2>\n

The MB Hanoi Cup 2026 became a historic tournament showing that the sport of pickleball has certainly begun to put down roots in Asia. With the sight realized of the world\u2019s top players traveling from the U.S. to Asia and competing against regional players,The globalization of pickleball has entered a new phase<\/strong>you could say.<\/p>\n

We'll be watching how the PPA Asia Tour develops from here, and whether a Japan stop becomes a possibility.<\/p>\n

References:The Dink Pickleball, \u201cMB Hanoi Cup Tournament Preview\u201d (2026)<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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