Argentine pickleball player Federico Staksrud (left) shaking hands with Vietnamese pickleball player Trương Vinh Hiển (right) at the net during the PPA Tour Asia – MB Hanoi Cup 2026 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo credit: PPA Tour Asia
Vietnam’s Pickleball Obsession
From neighborhood courts to international competition, a sporting phenomenon is transforming a nation
By Dan Beeman
October 21, 2026 • 9 min read
Niche to National
Three years ago, pickleball was little more than a curiosity in Vietnam. Today, it is filling courts, generating millions in equipment sales, attracting celebrities and producing athletes capable of challenging some of the world’s best players.
In a country where badminton, table tennis and tennis have long enjoyed widespread popularity, a relatively unfamiliar paddle sport has become an extraordinary cultural and commercial phenomenon.
I have followed pickleball’s rise in Vietnam over the past three years, watching what initially appeared to be a passing social media trend develop into something far more significant. What began on converted tennis courts and in neighborhood recreation centers has spread through major cities, reshaping the country’s sporting landscape and creating an expanding industry around the game.
From Ho Chi Minh City’s crowded evening courts to the growing network of clubs in Hanoi and Da Nang, Vietnam has embraced pickleball with remarkable enthusiasm. The speed of its transformation raises an intriguing question: What made this particular sport capture the attention of an entire nation?
A Country Captivated
The numbers offer a glimpse into the extraordinary scale of Vietnam’s pickleball movement.
Regional survey data indicates that public awareness of pickleball has reached 88%, the highest reported rate in Asia, ahead of Singapore at 70% and Malaysia at 57%. More than 37% of Vietnamese residents have reportedly tried the sport, while an estimated 16 million people play frequently each month.
Competitive participation is growing just as rapidly. Registrations on the DUPR platform increased by 184% in 2025, reflecting the expanding appetite for organized competition and measurable improvement.
Yet statistics alone cannot explain the sport’s appeal.
Vietnam already possessed a strong racket-sports culture. Badminton and table tennis are familiar recreational activities, while tennis has an established competitive following. Pickleball entered a market where many players already understood the coordination, movement and strategy involved in hitting a ball across a net.
Nearly 28% of participants reportedly came from other racket sports, giving pickleball an immediate pool of players who could adapt quickly.
Accessibility provided another advantage. With a regulation court measuring approximately 6.1 by 13.4 meters, pickleball requires considerably less playing space than tennis. Its smaller court, lightweight paddles and approachable learning curve make it attractive to beginners while still offering experienced athletes opportunities for competitive play.
Young professionals can play alongside retirees. Parents can introduce their children to the game. Friends can gather for an evening of exercise without committing to the demands of a traditional tennis match.
For Vietnam, pickleball arrived with an appealing combination of familiarity and novelty. It was easy enough to try, competitive enough to master and social enough to become part of everyday life.
From Courts to Commerce
As enthusiasm spread, entrepreneurs quickly recognized that Vietnam’s pickleball craze represented more than a recreational opportunity.
It was becoming big business.
According to retail analytics platform Metric.vn, online pickleball equipment sales through Shopee, TikTok Shop, Lazada and Tiki reached nearly VND 511 billion (approximately US$20 million) during the first half of 2025. Sales were almost 13 times higher than during the comparable period a year earlier.
Over a subsequent ten-month reporting period extending toward 2026, equipment turnover approached VND 1 trillion. Paddle sales alone accounted for approximately VND 400 billion, representing roughly 1.4 million units.
Products priced between VND 500,000 and VND 750,000 proved particularly successful, generating approximately VND 75 billion in revenue.
The figures reveal a market that has moved beyond a small group of enthusiasts. Pickleball has become a consumer category capable of supporting equipment manufacturers, retailers, apparel companies and an expanding network of recreational facilities.
Real estate has been another major beneficiary.
A single tennis court footprint can accommodate approximately three or four pickleball courts, creating opportunities for facility operators to increase bookings and potentially generate more revenue from the same amount of space.
Hanoi now has more than 150 dedicated pickleball venues, while Ho Chi Minh City reportedly has more than 1,000 court clusters. Hourly rentals generally range from VND 250,000 to VND 500,000, and evening occupancy rates at some facilities exceed 80%.
For developers and entrepreneurs, these numbers have made pickleball an attractive investment.
The industry’s rapid expansion has also encouraged technological innovation. Reservation platforms such as BookAndGo are helping operators manage court bookings, payments and organized leagues, introducing greater efficiency into an increasingly competitive market.
In a relatively short period, Vietnam has developed an interconnected pickleball economy. Players purchase equipment, book courts, join competitions and invest in apparel, while businesses compete to serve their growing expectations.
The commercial opportunities have become nearly as compelling as the sport itself.
When the Court Becomes a Catwalk
Perhaps nothing illustrates pickleball’s cultural influence in Vietnam more vividly than the debate over what people wear to play it.
In mid-2024, the sport became the center of an unexpected fashion controversy as celebrities, influencers and social media personalities began posting photographs and videos from pickleball courts.
The images attracted attention, but not always for the athletic performances they depicted.
Critics questioned whether some participants were more interested in fashionable outfits and social media exposure than playing the game. Form-fitting clothing and nontechnical apparel became subjects of public debate, turning pickleball attire into a surprisingly contentious cultural topic.
Vietnamese actresses Quỳnh Kool and Quỳnh Nga responded with humor, appearing on courts wearing traditional floral pajamas, known locally as “đồ bộ bà thím.”
Their playful response captured the absurdity of the controversy while drawing even more attention to the sport.
What had begun as a discussion about athletic clothing became a reflection of pickleball’s extraordinary visibility. The game had entered celebrity culture, fashion conversations and mainstream social media.
It was no longer simply an activity people enjoyed. It had become part of how they presented themselves.
The controversy also revealed a commercial opportunity.
As participation increased through 2025 and 2026, the market began shifting toward technical athletic apparel designed for comfort, movement and performance.
International brands recognized the potential. FILA, distributed in Vietnam by Maison RMI, positioned pickleball within its lifestyle offerings and organized promotional events featuring mainstream celebrities.
The combination of sportswear, celebrity endorsements and social media exposure helped transform pickleball into something resembling a lifestyle brand.
For a sport still establishing its identity in many countries, Vietnam demonstrated how quickly recreational participation could intersect with fashion, entertainment and consumer culture.
From Local Craze to Global Contender
While pickleball was capturing attention on social media and generating substantial retail sales, another transformation was taking place on the court.
Vietnamese athletes were becoming serious international competitors.
Established tennis players, including Trịnh Linh Giang and Lý Hoàng Nam, recognized the opportunities emerging in professional pickleball and began transitioning into the sport. Table tennis athletes, including Sophia Huỳnh Trần, also brought their competitive experience and technical skills to the growing professional scene.
Their involvement accelerated the development of elite competition, helping establish Vietnam as more than an enthusiastic recreational market.
At the 2024 PPA Tour Australia–Vietnam Open, Trịnh Linh Giang delivered a notable performance by defeating Asia’s top-ranked player, Leander Nazaro, in straight sets.
Trương Vinh Hiển subsequently signed a professional contract with the Carvana PPA Tour and captured the men’s singles title at the 2026 PPA Tour Asia Kuala Lumpur Open. He also defeated world No. 2 Federico Staksrud at the 2026 PPA Hanoi Cup, demonstrating the competitive potential of Vietnam’s emerging talent.
Sophia Huỳnh Trần earned gold at the 2024 PPA Australia Vietnam Open and joined the PPA Tour roster, while younger competitors such as Sophia Trần Phương Anh began winning junior and open titles across the region.
These achievements have helped change perceptions of Vietnamese pickleball.
The country is no longer simply developing players who enjoy the sport. It is producing athletes capable of competing against established international professionals.
Corporate investment has followed that success.
Vietnamese equipment manufacturer Động Lực Sports established Team Jogarbola Pickleball, providing leading players with professional contracts, performance equipment and support for international travel.
For athletes pursuing professional careers, this backing can make an important difference. International competition requires substantial financial resources, and corporate sponsorship provides opportunities that might otherwise remain out of reach.
Vietnam has also begun establishing the organizational infrastructure necessary to support its growing competitive ambitions.
On July 28, 2026, the Vietnam Pickleball Federation (VPF) held its founding congress in Hanoi, marking an important milestone in the sport’s development.
Under President Lê Văn Thành, the federation introduced a national governance structure, standardized referee certification and established an official ranking system.
These developments reflect a transition from rapid grassroots expansion toward a more organized national sporting environment.
Vietnam’s ambitions were further highlighted by the 2026 Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, an international event reported to feature 156 national teams.
Only a few years after pickleball began attracting widespread attention, Vietnam had progressed from discovering the sport to developing professional players, establishing national governance and hosting international competition. The speed of that progression is remarkable.
The Price of Popularity
Rapid growth, however, brings challenges that enthusiasm alone cannot resolve.
Across Vietnam’s densely populated cities, pickleball’s distinctive sound has become a source of friction between players and nearby residents.
The sharp impact of a hard paddle striking a plastic ball can produce noise levels of approximately 70 decibels at a distance of 30 meters, compared with typical residential ambient levels of around 55 decibels.
As courts appeared in residential neighborhoods, particularly in areas such as Khương Đình in Hanoi and Thanh Khê in Da Nang, late-night play prompted complaints from residents seeking relief from the constant sound.
Municipal authorities began responding with restrictions on operating hours and requirements for acoustic curtains and sound barriers.
The conflict is familiar to pickleball communities around the world. Players want convenient access to courts, while residents expect reasonable limits on noise and activity near their homes.
Vietnam’s experience demonstrates that expanding recreational infrastructure requires more than finding available land. Long-term planning must account for surrounding neighborhoods and the impact of increasingly popular facilities.
Organized competition has presented another challenge.
As tournaments multiplied, inconsistencies in officiating and disputes over line calls exposed a shortage of qualified referees and standardized procedures.
The Vietnam Pickleball Federation’s certification programs and competition regulations are intended to address these concerns, providing greater consistency as the professional scene matures.
These growing pains do not diminish pickleball’s success. They illustrate the responsibilities that accompany its transformation from an informal recreational pastime into an established sporting industry.
Sustaining the momentum will require investment not only in courts and equipment, but also in governance, infrastructure and community relationships.
More Than a Passing Craze
Vietnam’s pickleball phenomenon offers a fascinating glimpse into the forces driving the sport’s international expansion.
Its success has not depended on a single celebrity endorsement, tournament or marketing campaign. Instead, several factors have reinforced one another.
An established racket-sports culture provided a receptive audience. Accessible gameplay attracted newcomers. Social media introduced the sport to millions. Entrepreneurs recognized the commercial potential, and professional athletes helped establish its competitive credibility.
Each development encouraged the next.
The result is a sporting movement that now touches multiple aspects of Vietnamese life, from neighborhood recreation and retail spending to professional athletics and popular culture.
What I find most compelling is the speed with which these changes have occurred.
In just three years, I have watched pickleball evolve from an unfamiliar activity into a sport with national recognition, a growing commercial ecosystem and an increasingly competitive international presence.
The next phase will be more demanding. Vietnam must balance expansion with sustainable facilities, stronger officiating, effective governance and continued investment in athletic development.
Yet the foundation is already taking shape.
Vietnam has demonstrated that pickleball’s appeal can extend far beyond its traditional markets, adapting to local sporting traditions while creating new opportunities for businesses, athletes and communities.
The question is no longer whether pickleball can capture a nation’s attention.
Vietnam has already answered that.
The more interesting question is how far the country’s pickleball movement can go. ●
About Dan Beeman
Dan Beeman is CEO of Superlative Pickleball Travel and Resort Services and holds a Master of Hospitality degree from UNLV, where his research focused on the economic implications of pickleball for resorts. His work focuses on pickleball travel, resort development, site evaluation and hospitality programming.
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