No longer in the upa system, what is waiting for prodigy Pickleball Quang Duong? This is a big question that has no answer at the present time.
Recently, the American Pickleball village was shocked when Upa officially announced the termination of the contract with Quang Duong – Vietnamese teen talent is famous at the Beer City Open. The reason given is that Duong continues to violate the exclusive terms, although he has been fined $ 50,000 and banned part of the first season. The recidivism after only a few weeks caused UPA to make a tough decision.
The consequences do not stop at Duong individual. La Mad Drops – the team spent $ 80,000 to bring him back in the Draft MLP 2025 – lost the strategic card and was eliminated early from the first round, despite being considered a championship candidate.
Expert Todd Boss – Forbes's veteran pen – said: “This is a clear reminder from UPA that they will not cede to cases breaking exclusive contracts.” He also emphasized that the incident occurred at the time when Upa is changing the operating model – from fixed salary to rewards according to achievements – making all violations become more sensitive.
According to the new regulations, players are in the top 20 PPA – Nhu Duong – without an exclusive contract, will not be qualified and officially competing. This pushes positive into the “gray zone”: not playing, nor can it be re -signed. The road ahead in the US thus became very dark.
However, not only Duong suffered. Todd Boss pointed out that UPA is also losing a great opportunity: “Vietnam is the world's second fastest growing pickleball market, only after the US. PPA once saw this potential when organizing events in Asia with the participation of Agassi and Steffi Graf.” Losing a strong face -like face like Quang Duong can make UPA difficult in the expansion strategy in Southeast Asia.
Once considered a symbol of the booming pickleball in Vietnam, Duong has contributed to promoting the wave of new players thanks to the achievement of the US Award system. But now, the question is: Is the domestic attraction enough to keep him in the group of the most prominent players in the region?
Todd Boss offers two feasible directions: “Duong can join the App system – which is competitive with PPA, or returning to Vietnam, focusing on developing personal brands, training and business.” Although leaving American top prizes can affect the global performance and name, he believes this is also an opportunity for Duong to become a pioneer, leading the more professional development of Pickleball in Southeast Asia.
In the midst of the future in the US, Quang Duong was facing the turning point of his career. And maybe, his home country – where his name still keeps strong attraction – will be a new launch pad for a different journey but no less bold.