PPA MB Hanoi Cup 2026 [Results, Stats, Upsets, Videos]

Two Vietnamese players played each other in the men's singles final of a PPA 1000-level event. That has never happened before. Ly Hoang Nam defeated Truong Vinh Hien 11-5, 11-6 at the My Dinh Indoor Athletics Arena in Hanoi to win his second PPA Tour Asia title, and the PPA MB Hanoi Cup 2026 results delivered one of the most memorable weeks in international pickleball history.

The men's singles final was the headline, but it was far from the only story. Kaitlyn Christian staged one of the wildest comebacks of the 2026 season, saving match points from 2-8 down in the second game to beat Brooke Buckner 7-11, 14-12, 11-9 for women's singles gold. Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio opened their men's doubles final with an 11-0 first game against Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin. And Anna Leigh Waters made her international debut, winning women's doubles and mixed doubles gold while sitting out singles.

As someone who plays three hours a day, watching Vietnamese players run through a world-class draw on home soil gave me chills. The atmosphere inside My Dinh was electric, and you could tell the crowd mattered. And 11 PICKLES, we are all here for all of it. Let's break it all down.

PPA Hanoi Cup 2026: Final Results

The MB Hanoi Cup was a PPA Asia 1000-point event, the first stop on the 2026 PPA Tour Asia calendar. Nearly 800 players registered across pro and amateur brackets (Prism News), and the event offered up to $300,000 in prize money (PPA Tour Asia). Here is how every podium shook out:

Men's Singles

Gold: Ly Hoang Nam (Vietnam) def. Truong Vinh Hien (Vietnam) (11-5, 11-6)

Silver: Truong Vinh Hien (Vietnam)

Ly controlled the match from start to finish. Hien took early leads in both games, building a 5-2 advantage each time, but Ly's technique and backhand drives pulled him back into the rally each time. Once Ly leveled the score, he separated quickly. The 11-5, 11-6 scoreline does not reflect how competitive the early points were, but it does show how clinical Ly became once he found his rhythm. This is his second men's singles title on PPA Tour Asia after winning the Hangzhou Open in late 2025.

Women's Singles

Gold: Kaitlyn Christian def. Brooke Buckner (7-11, 14-12, 11-9)

Silver: Brooke Buckner

Bronze: Kate Fahey vs. Chao Yi Wang (14-12, 13-11)

Christian was down 2-8 in the second game after Buckner dominated the first 7-11. She saved multiple match points at 11-10 and 12-11, then strung together a crucial run fueled by a stretch forehand that shifted the entire momentum. Seven consecutive points in game three sealed it. This was one of the best women's singles finals on PPA Tour Asia. Waters withdrew from the singles draw, making Christian the highest-returning champion from the 2025 Malaysia Cup.

Men's Doubles

Gold: Gabe Tardio / Ben Johns def. Federico Staksrud / Hayden Patriquin (11-0, 11-7, 11-6)

Silver: Federico Staksrud / Hayden Patriquin

The first game was 11-0. That is not a typo. Johns and Tardio were so locked in from the first point that Staksrud and Patriquin could not win a single rally. Staksrud and Patriquin found their footing in games two and three, making the scorelines more competitive at 11-7 and 11-6, but the damage from game one was too significant to overcome. This was Johns' first men's doubles gold on PPA Tour Asia after earning silver and bronze on his two previous visits.

Women's Doubles

Gold: Anna Leigh Waters / Anna Bright def. (Silver) Catherine Parenteau / Hurricane Tyra Black (11-7, 11-5)

Bronze: Tina Pisnik / Jessica Irivne

Waters and Bright extended their undefeated finals record to 18 consecutive gold medals as a partnership (PPA Tour Asia). In the semifinal, they handled Tina Pisnik and Jessie Irvine 11-3, 11-2. Parenteau and Black played well enough to keep both final games competitive, but the margins were never really in question. Waters and Bright are setting a standard for consistency that no other women's doubles team on Tour can match right now.

Mixed Doubles

Gold: Anna Leigh Waters / Ben Johns def. Kaitlyn Christian / Christian Alshon (11-5, 11-2)

Silver: Kaitlyn Christian / Christian Alshon

The scoreline was dominant, but the path to the final was not as clean as you might expect from the world's No. 1 mixed doubles team. Vietnamese media reported that Waters and Johns "struggled to reach the final," and Christian and Alshon earned their spot by upsetting No. 2 seeds Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin 11-9, 11-8 in the semifinal. Once the final started, though, Waters and Johns left no doubt. This was Waters' double-gold debut on PPA Tour Asia.

Biggest Upsets and Storylines

The MB Hanoi Cup delivered a week that Asia will remember for years, and it gave the broader PPA Tour narrative several new threads to follow. Here is what happened and why it matters going forward.

The All-Vietnamese Men's Singles Final

This was the story of the tournament. In a PPA 1000-level event featuring Federico Staksrud (world No. 2), Christian Alshon, Dylan Frazier, and other established pros, two Vietnamese players made the final.

Truong Vinh Hien's path was the more dramatic of the two. He beat Mitchell Hargreaves in the quarterfinals, then upset No. 1 seed Staksrud 11-7, 4-11, 11-5 in the semifinal. Staksrud took game two convincingly, but Hien responded with an 11-5 third game that showed the kind of composure you rarely see from players competing against the world's No. 2 on their home court. This was an avenging win for Hien, who had lost to Staksrud in the Hangzhou Open bronze playoff.

Ly Hoang Nam's run was also impressive, starting with his Round of 16 win over No. 2 seed Alshon 12-10, 0-11, 12-10 (more on that controversial match below). He then dispatched Frazier 11-5, 11-6 in the semifinal without giving the American a foothold.

The crowd was electric. The event drew nearly 800 registered players, and fans packed the stands for the men's singles final. Vietnamese pickleball has grown rapidly over the past two years, and this result will accelerate that trajectory. The fact that both finalists won their semifinal matches against higher-seeded international opponents makes the achievement even more significant.

Ly Hoang Nam's Controversial Line Call Against Alshon

The biggest talking point of the week happened in the Round of 16. Ly Hoang Nam was facing No. 2 seed Christian Alshon in a tight third game, with the score at 11-10 on match point. Alshon's serve return was called out by Ly, but replays suggested the ball may have been in. The match took place on Grandstand Court, where no video replay technology existed (pickleball.com).

Three things made this controversial:

1. The ball appeared to land on or near the line, and Alshon clearly believed it was in.
2. No referee override existed without replay technology.
3. The call decided a match against the defending Malaysia Cup champion and No. 2 seed.

Ly won the match 12-10, 0-11, 12-10. The second game's 0-11 scoreline suggests Alshon was affected by the call, though Ly's 12-10 win in the decider showed he was capable of competing point-for-point regardless. Social media debated the call extensively throughout the week. Regardless of the controversy, Ly went on to win the entire tournament in dominant fashion, which matters when evaluating whether the result was deserved.

Christian's Comeback From 2-8 Down in the Women's Singles Final

Kaitlyn Christian's second-game comeback against Brooke Buckner deserves specific attention because of how rare it is at this level.

Buckner won game one 11-7 and built an 8-2 lead in game two. At that point, the match looked over. Christian was down a game and six points from elimination. What happened next was a masterclass in resetting mentally under pressure:

1. Christian hit a stretch forehand that changed the momentum. It was the kind of shot that reminds you why you play the game.
2. She saved match points at 11-10 and 12-11, refusing to give Buckner clean opportunities to close.
3. She won the second game 14-12, one of the highest scoring games in a PPA Tour Asia final.
4. In game three, Christian carried that energy forward, stringing together seven consecutive points to build an insurmountable lead and close out 11-9.

Buckner had earned her place in the final by upsetting No. 1 seed Kate Fahey 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 in the semifinal. She played aggressive, confident pickleball all week. The loss was not a collapse; it was Christian finding another gear that most players do not have access to when facing elimination.

Johns and Tardio Open a Finals Game 11-0

An 11-0 game in a final is uncommon at any level of professional pickleball. For it to happen in the first game of a men's doubles championship between the world's No. 1 team and the No. 2 seeds is extraordinary.

Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio were so precise in game one that Staksrud and Patriquin could not win a single rally. Every dink battle went to the top seeds. Every speed-up found an answer. Every transition was clean. In exchanges like these, paddle control at the kitchen line is everything. If you want that kind of precision in your soft game, the Luzz Pro 4 Tornazo is built for it. You can use code “11pickles” for 15% off.

To Staksrud and Patriquin's credit, they responded with more competitive scorelines in games two (11-7) and three (11-6). They adjusted their positioning and found more success attacking Tardio's forehand side. But the psychological damage of an 11-0 opening game in a final is real. At the Greater Zion Cup, Patriquin and Christian Alshon took two games off Johns and Tardio. With Staksrud as his new partner, Patriquin could not replicate that level.

This was Johns' first men's doubles gold on PPA Tour Asia. He had earned silver and bronze in his two previous appearances. With Tardio, they continue to be the most dominant men's doubles team in pickleball.

Kim and Wong Destroy McGuffin and Newman

Eunggwon Kim and Hong Kit Wong defeated Tyson McGuffin and Riley Newman 11-5, 11-2 in the men's doubles Round of 16. This was not close.

McGuffin came in with an unbeaten doubles record in PPA Tour Asia, having won both the Vietnam Cup and Malaysia Cup in 2025 with Eric Oncins. That streak ended emphatically. Kim and Wong controlled the pace from the opening rally and never let the American pair settle into their preferred attacking rhythm. The 11-2 second game forces established teams to rethink their approach entirely.

For Kim and Wong, this result puts them on the radar of every doubles team on the Asian circuit. The margins in doubles are thinner than people realize, and when lesser-known teams execute at this level, it opens the conversation about who else can compete at the top.

Waters' International Debut: Two Golds, No Singles

Anna Leigh Waters made her first-ever international competition appearance in Hanoi. After seven years as a professional and 43 career PPA triple crowns, this was her first time competing outside the United States.

"It's just been awesome to play in front of everyone. I've definitely felt the love so far being here in Asia," Waters said (pickleball.com).

She withdrew from the singles draw due to fitness concerns but won gold in women's doubles with Anna Bright and mixed doubles with Ben Johns. The women's doubles semifinal against Tina Pisnik and Jessie Irvine (11-3, 11-2) showed the level gap that still exists at the top. The mixed doubles path was rockier, with Vietnamese media reporting that Waters and Johns struggled in the earlier rounds before finding their form for the final.

The singles withdrawal is notable. At the Greater Zion Cup, Kate Fahey took the first game off Waters in singles since May. With Fahey also in the Hanoi draw and the Sacramento Open coming just eight days later, sitting out singles in Vietnam looks like smart load management for a 19-year-old competing across multiple brackets.

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EMBED: Instagram - Check @ppatour or PPA Tour Asia social accounts for MB Hanoi Cup championship content, Waters' international debut photos, or atmosphere posts. NOTE: Posts may still be going up. Check before publishing.

Player of the Tournament: Ly Hoang Nam

Ly Hoang Nam won the men's singles title on his home soil in Hanoi, beating the No. 2 seed in the Round of 16 and a world-class field en route to the championship. What makes this performance stand out is the combination of who he beat and where he did it.

In the Round of 16, he defeated Christian Alshon, the No. 2 seed and defending Malaysia Cup champion. In the semifinal, he dispatched Dylan Frazier in straight sets. In the final, he controlled the match against countryman Truong Vinh Hien, who had just upset the world No. 2 Staksrud. Ly faced pressure in every round and responded with increasing authority.

Born in 1997, Ly has now won two PPA Tour Asia singles titles (Hangzhou 2025 and Hanoi 2026). His game is built around solid technique and powerful backhand drives that accelerate rallies on his terms. If you are looking to generate that kind of backhand power from the baseline, the Luzz Cannon delivers the raw pop to make it happen. On the indoor courts at My Dinh, those weapons were amplified by the faster surface and the energy of a home crowd. For Vietnamese pickleball, this result is a landmark. For the broader PPA Tour Asia, it is a signal that the talent base is expanding in ways that will reshape seedings and expectations at future events.

Rising Stars to Watch

Every PPA tournament shifts the competitive landscape. Here are the players whose trajectories changed at the MB Hanoi Cup and what it means going forward.

• Ly Hoang Nam won men's singles gold, his second PPA Tour Asia title. Why this matters: he beat a No. 2 seed, a semifinalist, and a countryman who had just upset the world No. 2. Vietnamese pickleball now has a legitimate contender at every Asia event.
• Truong Vinh Hien upset world No. 2 Federico Staksrud 11-7, 4-11, 11-5 in the men's singles semifinal and reached the final. Why this matters: this was not a fluke. Hien avenged a prior loss to Staksrud and showed tactical maturity that will make him a threat at future PPA Tour Asia events.
• Kaitlyn Christian won women's singles gold with one of the best comebacks in PPA Tour Asia history, saving match points from 2-8 down to beat Buckner 7-11, 14-12, 11-9. She also made the mixed doubles final with Alshon. Why this matters: Christian is stacking titles on the Asia circuit (Malaysia Cup 2025, Hanoi Cup 2026) and proving she is the player to beat when Waters sits out singles.
• Brooke Buckner upset No. 1 seed Kate Fahey 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 in the women's singles semifinal on her Asia debut. Why this matters: Buckner showed she can handle the moment against top seeds in an unfamiliar environment. She came within two points of winning the whole thing.
• Eunggwon Kim and Hong Kit Wong demolished Tyson McGuffin and Riley Newman 11-5, 11-2 in men's doubles. Why this matters: they ended McGuffin's unbeaten doubles streak in Asia and showed that Asian doubles teams can compete with established American pairs at the highest level.
• Kaitlyn Christian and Christian Alshon upset No. 2 seeds Bright/Patriquin 11-9, 11-8 in the mixed doubles semifinal. Why this matters: Christian had already played a grueling three-game women's singles final earlier in the week, and she still had the energy and focus to beat the No. 2 seeds in mixed.

The MB Hanoi Cup proved that the PPA Tour Asia is developing its own competitive identity. Vietnamese players reached the men's singles final. Asian doubles teams upset established American pairs. And the women's singles bracket produced a comeback that would be memorable at any PPA event, domestic or international.

MB Hanoi Cup By The Numbers

• 800 players registered across pro and amateur brackets at the MB Hanoi Cup
• $300,000 in prize money available across all divisions
• 1,000 PPA ranking points available to winners (PPA Asia 1000-level event)
• 11-0 the first game of the men's doubles final (Johns/Tardio over Staksrud/Patriquin)
• 14-12 the second game of the women's singles final, where Christian saved match points from 2-8 down
• 2 Vietnamese players in the men's singles final, a first for any PPA 1000-level event
• 2 PPA Tour Asia singles titles for Ly Hoang Nam (Hangzhou 2025, Hanoi 2026)
• 18 consecutive finals wins for the Waters/Bright women's doubles partnership without a loss
• 11-5, 11-2 Kim/Wong's demolition of McGuffin/Newman in men's doubles Round of 16, ending McGuffin's unbeaten Asia doubles streak
• 0 singles matches played by Anna Leigh Waters in her international debut (withdrew from singles, won WD and XD gold)

What Is Next

The PPA Tour heads back stateside quickly. Here is what is coming:

• Sacramento Open (April 13-19, 2026): A 1,000-point event in Sacramento, California. Back to outdoor courts after the indoor environment in Hanoi.
• Veolia Atlanta Championships (April 27-May 3, 2026): A 2,000-point Slam event, the highest point value on the 2026 calendar.

Eight events into the 2026 season, the storylines are stacking up. In men's singles on the domestic PPA Tour, three players (Hunter Johnson, Staksrud, Chris Haworth) each have two titles and the No. 1 ranking keeps changing hands. Staksrud's semifinal loss to a Vietnamese player in Hanoi adds another layer to that conversation. In women's singles, Waters' decision to sit out singles in Hanoi means her 664-plus day winning streak was not tested, and Fahey's bronze-match finish suggests the No. 1 seed had a difficult week. In men's doubles, Johns and Tardio remain unbeatable, and their 11-0 opening game in Hanoi sets a new standard for dominance. And in women's doubles, Waters and Bright's 18-match finals winning streak is the most impressive active run in professional pickleball.

Three questions heading into Sacramento:

1. Can Staksrud bounce back from the semifinal upset in Hanoi, or does the loss to Hien linger?
2. Will Waters return to the singles draw, and if so, does Fahey have another game plan ready after the Greater Zion Cup?
3. Can any men's doubles team take a game off Johns and Tardio after that 11-0 statement?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who Won the PPA MB Hanoi Cup 2026?

Ly Hoang Nam (Vietnam) won men's singles, Kaitlyn Christian won women's singles, Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns won men's doubles, Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright won women's doubles, and Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns won mixed doubles. The all-Vietnamese men's singles final was a historic first for a PPA 1000-level event.

What Were the PPA Hanoi Cup 2026 Men's Singles Results?

Ly Hoang Nam defeated Truong Vinh Hien 11-5, 11-6 in the men's singles final. Both players are Vietnamese, making it the first all-local final in PPA Tour Asia history at the 1000 level. Hien reached the final by upsetting world No. 2 Federico Staksrud 11-7, 4-11, 11-5 in the semifinal.

Did Anna Leigh Waters Play Singles at the Hanoi Cup?

No. Anna Leigh Waters withdrew from the women's singles draw due to fitness concerns. This was her first-ever international competition, and she chose to focus on women's doubles (with Anna Bright) and mixed doubles (with Ben Johns), winning gold in both. Kaitlyn Christian won women's singles in her absence.

How Did Kaitlyn Christian Win Women's Singles at the Hanoi Cup?

Christian came back from 2-8 down in the second game to defeat Brooke Buckner 7-11, 14-12, 11-9 in the final. She saved multiple match points at 11-10 and 12-11 before closing out the second game, then won seven consecutive points in game three to seal the title. Buckner had upset No. 1 seed Kate Fahey in the semifinal.

Where Was the PPA MB Hanoi Cup 2026 Held?

The My Dinh Indoor Athletics Arena in Hanoi, Vietnam hosted the PPA MB Hanoi Cup 2026 from April 1 through April 5. Nearly 800 players competed across pro and amateur brackets. The event was broadcast on PPA Tour Asia YouTube, PickleballTV, FPT Play (Vietnam), TBS Sports (Japan), and True Vision Now (Thailand).

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