Meet Team Asia International: The Giant Has Awakened!
A Japanese tennis legend who was once a top-15 doubles player in the world, Malaysia’s No. 1, the king of Hong Kong who found his “second spring,” a Vietnamese champion who doesn’t drop sets and a former ITF pro who rose from China’s talent factory. Asia International arrives at the MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash hungry for history and asking no one for permission.
Attention, world! Pickleball has a new epicenter, and it’s in Asia.
While the U.S. debated who rules the sport, Asia was filling arenas. Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, Manila. Pickleball exploded across the most populated continent on the planet, and this team was born from that explosion.
Six players, six flags: Japan, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and the Philippines. They’re not coming to Dallas to learn. They’re coming to prove that Asia is ready to go toe-to-toe with the best.
The Roster
Captain: Madeleine Lim
Rika Fujiwara (Japan)
Lingwei Kong (China)
Jimmy Liong (Malaysia)
Hien Truong (Vietnam)
Jack Wong (Hong Kong, China)
Macy Ybanez (Philippines)
Madeleine Lim: Captain Of A Continent
Six countries, six cultures, six styles of play. And one woman in charge. Madeleine Lim’s mission is to turn the speed, discipline and intensity of Asian pickleball into a team no one wants to face.
From the bench, she’ll set the pairings, read every match and choose who carries the weight of the DreamBreaker. In a group with no easy opponents, her mind could be Asia’s secret weapon.
Rika Fujiwara: The Legend Reborn
On your feet, because this is tennis history.
Born in Tokyo, Rika Fujiwara reached No. 13 in the WTA doubles rankings in 2002. That year she played in the Roland Garros doubles semifinals and the Australian Open quarterfinals.
Many would think her athletic story was already written. But at 45, Rika decided to start a new one: in 2026, she turned pro in pickleball. The result? She’s already in the top 15 of the singles rankings, and this year she reached the singles final at the PPA Asia Shenzhen Open.
And guess what? Just days ago, at the Hong Kong Slam, she beat Mari Humberg, the queen of Brazil, who plays for Latin America… in this very group.
Age is just a number. Rika is pure class.
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Lingwei Kong: From China’s Talent Factory To The Elite
Born in Guangzhou, China, her journey is straight out of a movie. She played on the ITF professional tour in Asia from 2016 to 2018, then crossed the ocean to play No. 1 singles and doubles at Wichita State University.
In Wichita she discovered pickleball in 2022, and as soon as she graduated, she turned pro. Today she’s ranked in the top 30 of the women’s world rankings, has already played in a PPA Tour final, and this year she won women’s doubles silver at the Shenzhen Open, in her home country.
She speaks four languages, but on the court she speaks only one: grit.
Jimmy Liong: The Pride Of Malaysia
He’s Malaysia’s No. 1, and the whole country knows it.
Athletic, consistent and on a meteoric rise through the national rankings, Jimmy has become the face of Malaysian pickleball. He signed with Franklin, one of the biggest brands in the sport, and was named captain of the Malayan Stripes for the inaugural MLP Asia season, which kicks off in November.
But Jimmy doesn’t just play: he also works to grow the sport in his country, from the grassroots to the elite level. When he steps on the court, all of Malaysia plays with him.
Hien Truong: The Champion Who Gives Nothing Away
This stat is scary: in May, at the PPA Asia Kuala Lumpur Open, Vietnam’s Truong Vinh Hien won his first men’s singles title on the Asian tour… without dropping a single set all tournament. In the final, he crushed Japan’s Nasa Hatakeyama 11-2, 11-3.
And he didn’t stop there. At the PPA Singapore Open, he took bronze in singles and silver in doubles, losing that final in three games to Collin Johns and Len Yang, who now plays for Asia Domestic.
He comes from Vietnam, one of the countries where pickleball has become an absolute craze. Hien is speed, precision and zero mercy.
Jack Wong: The King Of Hong Kong
He was a member of Hong Kong’s national tennis team. He walked away from tennis and found in pickleball what he calls “my second spring.”
And what a spring it’s been. He’s Hong Kong’s No. 1, and at the PPA Hong Kong Open at Kai Tak Arena, in front of his home crowd, he won the men’s singles title in a nail-biting final: 11-9, 4-11, 11-9. He also took silver in doubles after a battle lasting nearly two hours. This year he added another doubles silver at the Shenzhen Open, again against Collin Johns and Len Yang.
His dream is to represent Hong Kong if pickleball ever makes it to the Olympics. Until then, Dallas is his stage.
Macy Ybanez: The Flag Of The Philippines
She carries the flag of a country where pickleball is booming. In the Philippines, courts are popping up everywhere, the federation keeps growing and even Anna Leigh Waters has a visit to Manila on the calendar. The sport is red-hot.
Macy arrives in Dallas carrying the hopes of an entire new Filipino generation. And a whole nation will be watching.
Group B: The Group Of Cover Stars… And Unfinished Business
Asia International landed in a group we know very well at DINK Authority:
Latin America, with captain Juan Manuel Benítez, Alexa Schull and Mari Humberg, whom Rika already beat in Hong Kong
Australia, with Danni-Elle Townsend, our August cover star
Europe – East, with Lina Padegimaite, our June cover star, and Andrei Daescu
Three opponents from three different continents. Asia against the world. And every match is a final.
The Details
Dates: October 30 – November 1
Venue: Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch (Dallas), Texas
Format: group play Friday and Saturday; single elimination Sunday
The MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash kicks off the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, running through November 8
A tennis legend reborn. A former ITF pro who speaks four languages. Malaysia’s No. 1. A champion who doesn’t drop sets. The king of Hong Kong. And Filipino pride.
Asia International is coming to Dallas to prove that the giant has awakened… and it’s hungry.
Let’s Go, Asia International!
A Japanese tennis legend who was once a top-15 doubles player in the world, Malaysia’s No. 1, the king of Hong Kong who found his “second spring,” a Vietnamese champion who doesn’t drop sets and a former ITF pro who rose from China’s talent factory. Asia International arrives at the MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash hungry for history and asking no one for permission.
Attention, world! Pickleball has a new epicenter, and it’s in Asia.
While the U.S. debated who rules the sport, Asia was filling arenas. Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, Manila. Pickleball exploded across the most populated continent on the planet, and this team was born from that explosion.
Six players, six flags: Japan, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and the Philippines. They’re not coming to Dallas to learn. They’re coming to prove that Asia is ready to go toe-to-toe with the best.
The Roster
Captain: Madeleine Lim
Rika Fujiwara (Japan)
Lingwei Kong (China)
Jimmy Liong (Malaysia)
Hien Truong (Vietnam)
Jack Wong (Hong Kong, China)
Macy Ybanez (Philippines)
Madeleine Lim: Captain Of A Continent
Six countries, six cultures, six styles of play. And one woman in charge. Madeleine Lim’s mission is to turn the speed, discipline and intensity of Asian pickleball into a team no one wants to face.
From the bench, she’ll set the pairings, read every match and choose who carries the weight of the DreamBreaker. In a group with no easy opponents, her mind could be Asia’s secret weapon.
Rika Fujiwara: The Legend Reborn
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On your feet, because this is tennis history.
Born in Tokyo, Rika Fujiwara reached No. 13 in the WTA doubles rankings in 2002. That year she played in the Roland Garros doubles semifinals and the Australian Open quarterfinals.
Many would think her athletic story was already written. But at 45, Rika decided to start a new one: in 2026, she turned pro in pickleball. The result? She’s already in the top 15 of the singles rankings, and this year she reached the singles final at the PPA Asia Shenzhen Open.
And guess what? Just days ago, at the Hong Kong Slam, she beat Mari Humberg, the queen of Brazil, who plays for Latin America… in this very group.
Age is just a number. Rika is pure class.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lingwei Kong: From China’s Talent Factory To The Elite
Born in Guangzhou, China, her journey is straight out of a movie. She played on the ITF professional tour in Asia from 2016 to 2018, then crossed the ocean to play No. 1 singles and doubles at Wichita State University.
In Wichita she discovered pickleball in 2022, and as soon as she graduated, she turned pro. Today she’s ranked in the top 30 of the women’s world rankings, has already played in a PPA Tour final, and this year she won women’s doubles silver at the Shenzhen Open, in her home country.
She speaks four languages, but on the court she speaks only one: grit.
Jimmy Liong: The Pride Of Malaysia
He’s Malaysia’s No. 1, and the whole country knows it.
Athletic, consistent and on a meteoric rise through the national rankings, Jimmy has become the face of Malaysian pickleball. He signed with Franklin, one of the biggest brands in the sport, and was named captain of the Malayan Stripes for the inaugural MLP Asia season, which kicks off in November.
But Jimmy doesn’t just play: he also works to grow the sport in his country, from the grassroots to the elite level. When he steps on the court, all of Malaysia plays with him.
Hien Truong: The Champion Who Gives Nothing Away
This stat is scary: in May, at the PPA Asia Kuala Lumpur Open, Vietnam’s Truong Vinh Hien won his first men’s singles title on the Asian tour… without dropping a single set all tournament. In the final, he crushed Japan’s Nasa Hatakeyama 11-2, 11-3.
And he didn’t stop there. At the PPA Singapore Open, he took bronze in singles and silver in doubles, losing that final in three games to Collin Johns and Len Yang, who now plays for Asia Domestic.
He comes from Vietnam, one of the countries where pickleball has become an absolute craze. Hien is speed, precision and zero mercy.
Jack Wong: The King Of Hong Kong
He was a member of Hong Kong’s national tennis team. He walked away from tennis and found in pickleball what he calls “my second spring.”
And what a spring it’s been. He’s Hong Kong’s No. 1, and at the PPA Hong Kong Open at Kai Tak Arena, in front of his home crowd, he won the men’s singles title in a nail-biting final: 11-9, 4-11, 11-9. He also took silver in doubles after a battle lasting nearly two hours. This year he added another doubles silver at the Shenzhen Open, again against Collin Johns and Len Yang.
His dream is to represent Hong Kong if pickleball ever makes it to the Olympics. Until then, Dallas is his stage.
Macy Ybanez: The Flag Of The Philippines
She carries the flag of a country where pickleball is booming. In the Philippines, courts are popping up everywhere, the federation keeps growing and even Anna Leigh Waters has a visit to Manila on the calendar. The sport is red-hot.
Macy arrives in Dallas carrying the hopes of an entire new Filipino generation. And a whole nation will be watching.
Group B: The Group Of Cover Stars… And Unfinished Business
Asia International landed in a group we know very well at DINK Authority:
Latin America, with captain Juan Manuel Benítez, Alexa Schull and Mari Humberg, whom Rika already beat in Hong Kong
Australia, with Danni-Elle Townsend, our August cover star
Europe – East, with Lina Padegimaite, our June cover star, and Andrei Daescu
Three opponents from three different continents. Asia against the world. And every match is a final.
The Details
Dates: October 30 – November 1
Venue: Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch (Dallas), Texas
Format: group play Friday and Saturday; single elimination Sunday
The MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash kicks off the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, running through November 8
A tennis legend reborn. A former ITF pro who speaks four languages. Malaysia’s No. 1. A champion who doesn’t drop sets. The king of Hong Kong. And Filipino pride.
Asia International is coming to Dallas to prove that the giant has awakened… and it’s hungry.
