Ly Hoang Nam, Vietnam’s top tennis talent for over a decade, has announced he is putting his tennis career on hold to pursue pickleball, raising concerns about the future of the racket sport in the country.

Nam, 28, confirmed on Wednesday that he is pausing professional tennis to focus on pickleball after having won seven championship titles in the past six months.

While he has not officially retired from tennis, his absence has already created a noticeable void in the sport, particularly as no other Vietnamese player has reached his level of performance or medal contention.

Nam’s decision comes at a time when Vietnamese tennis is lacking top-tier players, and his departure, whether temporary or not, underscores the challenges facing the next generation.

Though some young players are rising, they remain far from matching Nam’s consistency, international record, or impact.

Nam’s own rise to the top of Vietnamese tennis is a remarkable story.

Without access to formal coaching in his early years, he first encountered the sport by picking up balls during local matches.

His interest quickly grew into a passion, and despite limited financial resources, his parents supported his ambitions by taking him from their hometown in Tay Ninh Province to Binh Duong Province for training five days a week, picking him up each weekend.

It was not until Nam was nine years old that tennis experts began to take note of his potential.

That year, he won the under-10 championship in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province, marking the beginning of a decorated junior career.

Over the following years, Nam went on to dominate national youth tournaments.

He captured the U14 national title at just 12 years old, the U16 title at 14, and the U18 title at 16.

His biggest breakthrough came internationally in 2015, when he won the junior boys’ doubles title at Wimbledon alongside Indian partner Sumit Nagal, becoming the first Vietnamese player ever to make a mark at a Grand Slam tournament.

That win propelled him to a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 375, still the highest ranking ever achieved by a Vietnamese tennis player.

Nam went on to make more history in 2019, winning Vietnam’s first Southeast Asian Games gold medal in men’s singles in 52 years.

He repeated that achievement at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games held in Vietnam, further solidifying his legacy as a national sporting icon.

Coach Truong Quoc Bao noted in 2024 that Nam remains a rare and exceptional figure in the country's tennis landscape.

“At this time, it is not easy for Vietnamese tennis to find a special factor like Ly Hoang Nam,” he said.

Over his decade-long professional career, Nam has been the undisputed face of Vietnamese tennis.

His name became synonymous with the sport, both for his achievements and for his pioneering role in elevating Vietnam’s profile on the international stage.

Now, as he shifts to pickleball, Vietnamese tennis faces the challenge of rebuilding without its most prominent figure.

While Nam has stated that his move is not a permanent retirement, his continued success in pickleball and lack of a return timeline leave the sport’s immediate future uncertain.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam!