While Major League Pickleball (MLP) continued its regular-season action in North America, the international pickleball scene was equally busy, with three major tournaments taking place across Singapore, Malaysia and Europe over the July 26 weekend.
Key Highlights
- Quang Duong captured two gold medals at the APP Penang Open, while Roos van Reek completed a stunning Triple Crown in Malaysia.
- Yufie Long secured a double gold at the PPA Asia Singapore Open, while Jack Wong medalled in all three disciplines.
- 16-year-old Jaeda Minniefield claimed the biggest breakthrough victory of the weekend by winning mixed doubles in Singapore.
- The PPA's inaugural European stop in Portorož saw top European players shine as the international tour continued its rapid expansion.
International Pickleball Takes Centre Stage Across Three Continents
From breakthrough teenage champions to dominant Triple Crown performances, the weekend showcased the growing depth of talent across the global game as the PPA Asia, APP Global Series, and PPA Europe crowned their latest champions.
Singapore Delivers Breakthrough Moments
The PPA Asia 500 Singapore Open attracted many of Asia's top professionals, offering one of the region's highest-ranking tournaments outside the main PPA Tour.
In men's doubles, Collin Johns and Len Yang continued their impressive partnership by capturing their second PPA Asia gold medal together after defeating Hien Truong and Kenta Miyoshi in a thrilling three-game final.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Jack (Hong Kit) Wong continued his dominance in men's singles, claiming his third gold medal in four international PPA events after overcoming American Adam Harvey in the championship match. Wong also completed an outstanding weekend by reaching the podium in all three events.
On the women's side, Yufie Long emerged as one of Singapore's biggest winners. She defeated Annie Xie to capture the singles crown before partnering Kara Wheatley to secure women's doubles gold.
Perhaps the tournament's biggest storyline came in mixed doubles, where 16-year-old Jaeda Minniefield and Vietnam's Luc Pham stunned the field to lift the title. Already a regular medallist on the PPA Challenger circuit, Minniefield celebrated one of the biggest victories of her young career.
Quang Duong and Roos van Reek Shine in Penang
The 2026 Leapmotor APP Penang Open marked the sixth stop of the APP Global Series and produced several standout individual performances.
American star Quang Duong returned to winning form by securing two gold medals. He first defeated rising Chinese teenager Phoenix He in the men's singles final before teaming up with Harsh Mehta to successfully defend their men's doubles title from Ho Chi Minh City, overcoming top seeds Jack Munro and Will Schenk.
Duong narrowly missed out on a Triple Crown after finishing runners-up in mixed doubles to Jack Munro and Roos van Reek. Van Reek, however, enjoyed a weekend to remember.
The Dutch star completed her second career professional Triple Crown by winning women's singles, women's doubles alongside Vivian Glozman, and mixed doubles with Munro. Remarkably, she achieved the exact same feat with the same partners just one month earlier in Ho Chi Minh City.
PPA Europe Begins with Historic First Stop
The PPA also celebrated a milestone by launching its first-ever European professional event in Portorož, Slovenia, despite the new series carrying an Italian branding.
Europe's top players took full advantage of the opportunity. Louis Laville and Tom Protzek claimed the men's doubles title, while Hungary's Balint Bako captured men's singles after defeating Spain's Josep "Pep" Canyadell.
In the women's competitions, Claudia Caymel Romero and Katie Morris lifted the doubles crown, while Sabrina Mendez Dominguez won women's singles. Morris rounded off an outstanding tournament by partnering Ben Cawston to win mixed doubles, completing an impressive double-title weekend.
What's Next?
The international pickleball calendar continues at full speed. The APP International Tour heads to the 2026 Monsoon Pickleball Open next weekend, while PPA Asia returns on the 9 August weekend with the 2026 Ho Chi Minh City Open.
That same weekend will also feature the 2026 APP Malaysia Open, before an action-packed August concludes with major events including the English Open and the PPA Gold Coast Open. With new champions emerging across multiple continents and international competition continuing to grow, pickleball's global momentum shows no signs of slowing down.
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