Strong international line-up confirmed for inaugural PPA Asia 500 Singapore Open

SINGAPORE – Organisers of the Leapmotor Singapore Open, a Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Asia 500 event, have unveiled the big names who will be coming for the July 23-26 competition.

In a press statement on July 15, organisers said that the tournament at the Sports Arina @ Expo will feature leading players such as American doubles specialist Collin Johns, PPA Tour Asia multiple-title winner Len Yang, Hong Kong star Jack Wong and China’s top-seeded Long Yufei.

The tournament, which will be the highest-tier pickleball event to be held in Singapore yet, will see amateurs and professionals compete for up to US$79,000 (S$102,000) in prize money.

Adrian Tan, event director of the Singapore Open and chief commercial officer of organiser Kin Productions, said: “The Leapmotor Singapore Open brings together an exciting field of leading international and Asian players, including Collin Johns, Len Yang, Jack Wong, Long Yufei and Hien Truong.

“With several of the region’s top-ranked players competing alongside established international names, fans can expect a high standard of competition across every discipline.

“We’re also delighted to see Charles Yong and Ryan Ng representing Singapore and competing in front of strong home support.”

Organisers said that Johns, 33, is “arguably the biggest name in the field and brings one of the strongest doubles records in professional pickleball to Singapore”.

A former professional tennis player, Johns has won 35 men’s doubles titles and finished three consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2024 as part of the world’s No. 1 men’s doubles team alongside his 27-year-old brother Ben Johns, widely regarded as the greatest pickleball player of all time.

In Singapore, the older Johns will reunite with multiple PPA Tour Asia champion Len Yang.

The pair, who have already tasted success this season with gold at the May 13-17 Kuala Lumpur Open, are seeded second in men’s doubles.

The top seeds are Wong and South Korea’s Kim Eung-gwon, who claimed silver at the 2025 Hong Kong Open and have reached the podium several times on the PPA Tour Asia circuit.

Wong will also be looking to continue his strong form, having captured back-to-back men’s singles titles at the June 17-21 Beijing Open and the July 1-4 Tokyo Open. The second seed for the Singapore event will be aiming to secure a third consecutive singles title.

There is also strong representation in South-east Asia, with Vietnam’s Hien the top seed in men’s singles after winning the Kuala Lumpur Open.

A potential meeting between him and Wong would renew one of the leading rivalries on the Asian pickleball scene, said organisers.

China’s Long will be one of the busiest players in Singapore, as she competes in all three professional events open to her. She is the top seed in women’s singles, the No. 2 seed in women’s doubles with American Kara Wheatley and the No. 2 seed in mixed doubles alongside Lucas Pascoe of Australia.

Flying the flag for the host nation will be Yong, who will compete in the men’s singles main draw after earning direct entry following victory at PickleSlam in April, a PPA Asia 125 tournament.

The 19-year-old came from behind to defeat Malaysia’s Timothy Foo 15-13 in the final, securing the biggest title of his career and a place in the Singapore Open.

Fellow local Ng will begin his men’s singles campaign in qualifying, with the chance to earn a place in the main draw. He is also entered in the men’s doubles.

Tickets, which are required for the championship court, can be purchased via Sistic, but only those for July 23 are still available to the public. Admission to the other courts and fan zone is free.