PPA Vietnam Sets World Record for Single-Day Pickleball Event Attendance

A strong sign for international interest, but viewership appeal remains to be seen.

The PPA Tour Asia MB Vietnam Cup was a pickleball event for the record books, in more ways than one.

Figuratively, the atmosphere was electric. The event drew more than 600 competitors, with a strong international representation, including those local to Vietnam.

PPA pro Zane Navratil was there – he and Armaan Bhatia fell to Eric Oncins and Tyson McGuffin in the men's doubles final – and posted to X a video of a packed arena, with the caption, "Pickleball to the MOON."

UPA CEO Connor Pardoe also made the trip and posted his own video, stating:

Pretty surreal to see the PPA Tour like this. Lots to celebrate… But even more hard work ahead! Excited to keep growing this thing!

Pickleball to the MOON pic.twitter.com/i3diTeCThL
— Zane Navratil (@ZaneNavratil) October 4, 2025

Yes, vibes were high. But attendance was also through the roof.

According to Guinness World Records, the event drew record-breaking crowds and set a new high for "largest attendance at a pickleball event":

The largest attendance at a pickleball event is 7,906 and was achieved by America & Asia Connect Company, Danang Pickleball Federation and FPT Play (all Vietnam) during PPA Tour Asia MB Vietnam Cup 2025 at Tien Son Sports Center, in Da Nang, Vietnam on 4 October 2025.

"The announcement," reported Tuoi Tre News, "was made during the closing ceremony at Tien Son Sports Arena by Austin Johnson, an official adjudicator from Guinness World Records."

The previous record was 5,522 from the 2022 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

A Litmus Test for International Viewership?

A World Record is a World Record, but this one comes with a couple additional considerations.

Attendance to an event like this typically comes at a price, but we've heard from a few sources – including people who were there – that many attendees on the day in question, Oct. 4, were invited to attend free of charge.
In order to obtain a Guinness World Record, you have to invite and pay a company representative to witness the event in question, in this case, an official adjudicator based in Tokyo, Japan, Austin Johnson.

That's how these records work, right? You know the previous mark and do everything you can to beat it. Sure.

Neither of these points negate the fact that nearly 8,000 people showed up in person to watch a day of professional pickleball in Da Nang, Vietnam.

That's a spectacular indication of the sport's international resonance and a testament to the type of product the PPA continues to put in front of fans around the world.

World Records like this make for splashy headlines, but it remains to be seen whether a single-day crowd of this size is indicative of pickleball's longterm traction and in-home viewership potential across Asia and other key global markets.

PPA Tour Asia has yet to set its 2026 schedule, but you can be sure it's goal will be to go bigger and better than this year.

I've reached out to the UPA for comment and will update the article accordingly with any additional insights.

Featured image via Thanh Nguyen | Tuoi Tre News