Pickle Allstars: Lý Hoàng Nam wins Open 11-3, 11-0; Bảo Thy shines

Lý Hoàng Nam completed a commanding performance at the Pickle Allstars 1st Edition, partnering with Nguyễn Văn Phương to defeat Đạt Trố and Triệu Cầu Lông 11-3, 11-0 in the Open Circle final at Lý Hoàng Nam Sport Club in Ho Chi Minh City. The running-game scoreline underlined the winners' control: a decisive first game followed by a shutout second game that secured the Open title and the 100 million VND top prize.

The score itself tells a clear story of dominance. Lý Hoàng Nam and Nguyễn Văn Phương pressured opponents through consistent serving and aggressive transitions to the net, allowing them to maintain short, high-percentage rallies and deny Đạt Trố and Triệu Cầu Lông any sustained momentum. The 11-0 second game is a notable rarity at this level and points to near-flawless execution and minimized unforced errors by the champions.

Celebrity participation was a defining feature of the weekend. Singer Bảo Thy, paired with Toàn Q7, won the Harmony mixed-doubles 5.5 category, a breakout result after just seven months of training. Her progress from beginner to event winner illustrates how quickly celebrity-athlete crossovers can elevate both the profile of players and the sport. Hương Giang also made an impact in the pro-celeb bracket, reaching the top-3 while paired with Lý Hoàng Nam, further demonstrating the drawing power of high-profile pairings.

Beyond individual results, the event highlighted larger industry trends in Vietnam and the broader Asian pickleball scene. High-stakes prize money, celebrity involvement, and pro-celeb exhibition formats are accelerating commercialization and mainstream attention. Lý Hoàng Nam is leveraging this momentum: he has signaled plans to build a professional pickleball team with the explicit aim of competing in PPA/PPA Tour events in 2026. That ambition ties local competition to an international calendar and creates pathways for sponsorship, coaching jobs, and athlete development.

Culturally, the tournament blurred boundaries between entertainment and sport, making pickleball content more accessible to casual audiences while retaining competitive legitimacy. Bảo Thy’s rapid rise will likely encourage other public figures to invest time in the sport, generating media coverage that can translate into sponsorships and grassroots growth. Socially, the mix of celebrities and pros broadened demographic reach and offered new role models, especially for young women seeing a visible pathway in a fast-growing racquet sport.

For fans and stakeholders, the Pickle Allstars weekend was both spectacle and statement: top-level Vietnamese players like Lý Hoàng Nam are ready to dominate domestically and chase international opportunities, while celebrity entrants are proving to be potent catalysts for audience expansion. The next chapters to watch are Lý Hoàng Nam’s team-building moves and how quickly Vietnamese entrants step onto the PPA stage in 2026.