PPA Tour Asia MB Hanoi Cup 2026 Set for April at Mỹ Đình Palace

World No. 1 Ben Johns will lead what organizers are calling the biggest field of PPA professionals ever assembled in Asia when the MB Hanoi Cup opens the PPA Tour Asia 2026 calendar at Mỹ Đình Indoor Athletics Palace in Hanoi from April 1 to 5.

Johns, ranked first in both Men's and Mixed Doubles and carrying more than 180 PPA gold medals, returns to Vietnam having competed at the MB Vietnam Cup in 2025. He will pair with Gabriel Tardio in Men's Doubles, a combination PPA Tour Asia describes as the top two ranked duo in the world. Tardio will be making his Asia debut at the event. Anna Leigh Waters is also set to make her international debut at the tournament, competing alongside Anna Bright and Johns in the Vietnam capital. The broader pro field includes Hayden Patriquin, Alix Truong, Federico Staksrud, Dylan Frazier, and Tyra Black, among others.

"We have assembled the largest line-up of PPA professionals ever to compete at a PPA Asia event," said Kimberly Koh of United Pickleball Association Asia.

The scale extends well beyond the professional draw. More than 700 players are expected to compete across elite and amateur disciplines, making it the largest international pickleball event in Vietnam's history. Hanoi is the first destination for the PPA Asia 1000 tier, and this will be the third time within two years that a PPA Asia 1000 event has been staged in Vietnam, following editions in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang in 2025.

Vietnamese player Trinh Giang adds a compelling local dimension. Giang won the inaugural PPA Tour Asia Panas Malaysia Open and returns to the court in front of a home crowd in Hanoi.

MB Bank returns as title sponsor for the third time in its partnership with PPA Tour Asia. Ms. Nguyen Thi Viet Nga, Marketing Director of Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank, framed the commitment in terms that go beyond brand visibility: "MB's continued partnership with PPA Asia 1000 – MB Hanoi Cup 2026 is not only a continuation of cooperation, but also a reaffirmation of our long-term commitment to the health and happiness of our customers and the community. Through the tournament, MB wishes to offer Vietnamese fans the opportunity to directly witness world legends compete, while inspiring physical training and nurturing a spirit of connection."

UPA Asia and local organizer New Sports held a press conference on March 6 in Hanoi to formally launch the event. The MB Hanoi Cup opens a stretch of three consecutive weeks of elite PPA Tour Asia action across the region. Points earned count toward PPA Tour Asia Rankings, which are structured around a three-tier system of Slam, Cup, and Open events, with players chasing the No. 1 crown across the continent.

For Hanoi specifically, the choice of Mỹ Đình Indoor Athletics Palace signals organizational ambition. "Bringing a PPA Tour event to Hà Nội is a deliberate milestone," an organizer said at the launch. "It reflects our proven organisational capability, the trust of our partners, and a shared ambition to elevate Vietnamese pickleball on the regional stage.