Johns, Tardio, Christian Lead Record Pro Field at MB Hanoi Cup

PPA Tour Asia on March 3, 2026 confirmed that the MB Hanoi Cup will open the 2026 PPA Tour Asia season April 1-5 at My Dinh Indoor Athletics Arena in Hanoi and described the entry list as “the largest collection of PPA pros ever staged in Asia.” The announcement named Ben Johns, Gabriel Tardio and Kaitlyn Christian among the headliners for the four-day event.

The confirmed player pool includes a long roster of U.S.-based stars and international names. TheKitchenPickle listed Ben Johns, Dekel Bar, Tyson McGuffin, Eric Oncins, Zane Navratil, Jonathan Truong, Kaitlyn Christian, Chao Yi Wang (also shown as Zoey Chao Yi Wang), Alix Truong, Liz Truluck and Hannah Blatt as competing in Hanoi. Pickle361’s coverage added Federico Staksrud, Anna Bright, Tyra “Hurricane” Black and Christian Alshon to the regional swing, and the announcement materials and headlines emphasize continuity from the Malaysia Cup that wrapped the previous week.

The two-week Asia swing has generated visible energy on the courts and in the stands. After Saturday’s matches in Vietnam last month, Tyson McGuffin told the crowd, “Keep me in Asia, baby! Keep me right here in Vietnam! The last two weeks has been a dream come true for me. Thank you for coming out and bringing the energy. I know Eric and I felt it. You guys are awesome, and we can't wait to come back here next year.” McGuffin’s remark followed performances alongside Eric Oncins and mirrors PPA Tour Asia’s push to build sustained fanbases across multiple stops.

Ben Johns’ name anchors the field by pedigree and press. PPA Tour biographical material lists Johns with 123 PPA titles as of the Red Rock Open 2024 and a 108-match winning streak in singles noted in that profile. Other excerpts place Johns higher on the career-count scale: one outlet’s fragment lists 156 gold medals while Pickle361 described him as having “over 150 career titles” and called him the world’s No. 1. Promotional copy quoted on the PPA site put the moment bluntly: “Johns has redefined what’s possible in professional pickleball. Now he steps onto Asian courts for the first time, where rising local hopes and established stars await their shot at taking on the king,” and invited fans to “experience that greatness live.”

Organizers framed Hanoi as the season opener in a wider PPA Tour Asia calendar that lists subsequent stops including Kuala Lumpur, Macao, Tokyo, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong. The regional run follows high-attendance events in Vietnam: Alex Lantz reported the Da Nang Vietnam Cup set a Guinness World Record with 7,906 fans at Saturday’s matches in October 2025, topping the prior mark of 5,522, and Tran Phuoc Son of the Da Nang Pickleball Federation described that turnout as reflecting coordinated support from authorities, sponsors and fans.

PPA Tour Asia’s March 3 confirmation also said commercial partners were finalized for the MB Hanoi Cup, though partner names and the event prize-purse were not included in the material released. Play at My Dinh Indoor Athletics Arena begins April 1 and the confirmed field sets up a high-profile opening weekend for professional pickleball in Hanoi.