Phuc Huynh beats Asian No. 1 Ly Hoang Nam in Vietnam final

Phuc Huynh turned the Michelob ULTRA Asia Open into a Vietnamese takeover, beating Asian No. 1 Ly Hoang Nam 21-13, 21-23, 21-11 in the men’s singles final at VIAS Pickleball Academy in Ho Chi Minh City. The result was more than a title change. It was a clear signal that Vietnam’s top end is no longer built around one dominant name.

The final had the feel of a true changing-of-the-guard match. Huynh controlled the opening game, Nam answered in a tight second set, then Huynh pulled away decisively in the third to close out a win that carried both momentum and pressure. The scoreline reflected the reality of the matchup: two players who know each other well, but one of them is now showing he can repeatedly solve Vietnam’s biggest star on the biggest stages.

That matters because Nam entered the week as Asia’s top-ranked player and one of the face of Vietnam’s rise in pickleball. Huynh’s victory added weight to the idea that Vietnam is building real internal depth, not just leaning on a single breakthrough talent. Reports before the event noted that five Vietnamese players sat inside the Asian men’s singles top 10, and Huynh’s win gave that number real meaning. This is no longer a one-man story. It is a national pipeline story.

The scale of the Michelob ULTRA Asia Open underlined that shift. The four-day tournament ran from June 4 to June 7 and carried a stated prize pool of VNĐ3 billion, while drawing about 600 players from across the Asia-Pacific region. It featured five divisions, men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, with rally scoring used to speed up play and sharpen the entertainment value. AAC and FPT Play co-organized the event, with support from Pickleball World Communications and tournament operations by PVNA.

Huynh’s win also echoed a familiar pattern. He had already beaten Nam in the PPA Asia - MB Vietnam Open 2025 men’s singles final, winning 11-5, 11-1 in September at City Park in Thu Duc City. Two high-profile final wins over the same player make this more than a one-off upset. They suggest Huynh is becoming the man most likely to challenge Vietnam’s standard-bearer when the matches matter most.

For Vietnam, that is a big deal. The country is preparing to host the 2026 Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang later this year, and results like this strengthen its case as a serious Asian hub. If Nam once symbolized the nation’s climb, Huynh now looks like the player forcing the next step in that ascent.