GEORGE TOWN — The Leapmotor APP Asia Penang Open 2026 concluded its five-day run at Pickle By The Sea along Gurney Drive, bringing together 1,386 participant entries across 22 nations. Featuring over 100 professional athletes competing for a USD35,000 prize purse, the tournament served as the second official leg of the inaugural APP Asia Tour. The event further established Malaysia as the tour’s official Asian headquarters while producing landmark individual performances and breakthrough results for host-nation competitors.
Van Reek Dominates Professional Divisions
Dutch player Roos Van Reek delivered a remarkable performance, capturing three professional gold medals to complete a Triple Crown. Van Reek opened her title run in the Women’s Pro Singles division, securing the championship against Chinese Taipei’s Yu-Chieh Hsieh. She then partnered with American player Vivian Glozman to secure the Women’s Pro Doubles crown.
Van Reek completed her sweep in the Mixed Pro Doubles final alongside Australian partner Jack Munro. The duo defeated Vietnam’s Quang Duong and Australia’s Amanda Hendry in the final match. Van Reek’s three-title effort stands as the most successful individual performance in the history of the APP Asia Tour to date.
In the men’s professional events, Vietnam’s Quang Duong recorded a double-gold performance. The left-handed athlete claimed the Men’s Pro Singles championship after defeating China’s Phoenix He in the final. Duong secured his second title in the Men’s Pro Doubles division alongside Indian partner Harsh Mehta, defeating American pair Jack Munro and Aidan Schenk.
Malaysian Breakthroughs and Key Upsets
Malaysian athletes produced several high-profile victories against seeded international opponents throughout the draw. Former national tennis player Khoo Er Yang created a major shock in the Men’s Pro Singles Round of 16, eliminating top seed Jack Foster of the United States in a three-game match (11-6, 7-11, 11-9) to advance to the quarterfinals.
Fellow Malaysian Dylan Ooi also reached the quarterfinal stage after recovering from a set down to defeat Australia’s third seed Brian Tran (4-11, 11-8, 11-9). In doubles competition, local brothers Chan Guo Jing and Chan Ren Chern eliminated seventh seeds Jai Grewal of New Zealand and Minh Le of Vietnam in the Round of 32.
The local contingent achieved its marquee podium result when Aiman Hamdan secured the bronze medal in Men’s Pro Singles. Hamdan’s finish represents Malaysia’s first professional medal on the APP Asia Tour circuit.
Tour Governance and Open Competition Model
The Leapmotor APP Asia Penang Open operates as part of the only professional pickleball circuit in Asia utilizing an open competition framework. This structural model permits non-contracted and aspiring players to enter professional draw brackets alongside ranked international competitors to earn global ranking points.
The APP Asia Tour is the first regional circuit to hold joint sanctioning from both the Asian Pickleball Association (APA) and the Asia Federation of Pickleball (AFP). Broadcast coverage across the five-day event was distributed via APP TV, Selkirk TV, and regional streaming platforms.
Also Read: TAIPEI CYCLE Unveils New Brand Positioning and Opens Booth Registration for 2027
Following the completion of the Penang leg, the tour will proceed to scheduled stops across China, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, and India. Official tournament brackets, regional player rankings, and future circuit registration schedules are accessible through the centralized platform at sportssync.asia.
