Following five days of competition from September 9 to 13, 2026, the D-Joy Pickleball Tour 2026 Leg 3 | Petrolimex Saigon Cup has officially concluded. This leg generated a massive media buzz and set operational standards unprecedented in the history of sports in the country.
Record-breaking milestone: Nearly 400 international players descend on the event
The tournament set a record with over 1,600 registrations across all categories, spanning both amateur and professional levels. Notably, the event saw an influx of 365 international athletes representing major pickleball powerhouses, including the US, the UK, Australia, Thailand, and India.
Leg 3 of the D-Joy Pickleball Tour 2026 the Petrolimex Saigon Cup attracts a large number of international and Vietnamese athletes to compete.
Leg 3 of the D-Joy Pickleball Tour 2026 the Petrolimex Saigon Cup attracted a large field of international and Vietnamese athletes competing for top honors.
The Pro division witnessed thrilling matchups featuring world-class players such as Ronan Camron, Drake Palm, Jack Munro, Richard Livornese Jr., Bobbi Oshiro, Megan Fudge, Vivian Glozman, and Brandon Lane. Notably, the lineup included Jay Devilliers a top-tier player who once reached world number two and chose to leave the restrictive environment of the old system to commit to the D-Joy Tour for the long term.
The presence of these elite international stars did not overshadow the local talent. Trang Huynh made her mark by becoming the first Vietnamese player to win the Pro Women's Singles title in the D-Joy Tour circuit. Meanwhile, Trinh Linh Giang also distinguished himself by reaching the finals in both the Pro Men's Doubles and Pro Mixed Doubles events.
Trang Huynh becomes the first Vietnamese athlete to win the Women's Pro Singles title at the D-Joy Pickleball Tour.
In addition, other prestigious titles found worthy winners: Ronan Camron (Pro Men's Singles); Jack Munro & Richard Livornese Jr. (Pro Men's Doubles); Vivian Glozman & Megan Fudge (Pro Women's Doubles); and Bobbi Oshiro & Brandon Lane (Pro Mixed Doubles).
Real-time AI technology and rigorous operational standards
The entire tournament took place at the D-Joy South Saigon complex, featuring 52 courts built to exacting standards with spacious margins and flawless playing surfaces.
To ensure transparency and fairness, professional paddle verification—using specialized high-tech equipment compliant with USAPA standards—was strictly enforced for all Pro players on every match day. Technical operations were overseen by Byron Freso—APP International Director of Training & Officiating and a USA Pickleball Senior Instructor—who served as Head Referee and conducted rigorous training for the Vietnamese officiating team.
Notably, the digital VAR system, utilizing high-speed imagery, was further optimized to assist referees in accurately determining ball trajectories. D-Joy pioneered the integration of AI to fully digitize matches in real-time. This intelligent video analysis system automatically generates technical and tactical data to help athletes analyze their performance while providing spectators with dramatic 3D replays. Thanks to this optimized digitization system and referees recording scores directly via a dedicated on-court app, results were instantly updated in real-time on the D-Joy website and app.
Modern VAR technology and a team of international referees contribute to enhancing the professional quality of the tournament.
Aspiration to Elevate Vietnamese Talent
For Leg 3, D-Joy is offering free admission on the opening day of the PRO qualifiers and throughout the amateur ranking rounds. For the remaining elite competition days, the "D-Joy Access" ticket policy applies, featuring a symbolic price point. This ticket is essentially an exclusive experience package including high-quality amenities for spectators offered at a rate that is highly reasonable compared to other international-standard tournaments held in Vietnam.
D-Joy maintains its non-profit operational model for its youth tournament series, dedicating resources to full scholarship programs at the D-Joy Sport Academy. These scholarships cover 100% of the costs for intensive training, equipment, and opportunities for domestic and international competition for outstanding talents aged 10 to 18. This initiative serves as a crucial foundation for developing a new generation of young athletes, gradually enhancing their professional skills and competitive mettle on the global stage, with the ultimate goal of producing athletes capable of competing at the SEA Games, ASIAD, and eventually the Olympics.
Where Sports and Brands Converge
For the D-Joy Pickleball Tour 2026 Leg 3 | Petrolimex Saigon Cup, Petrolimex Saigon One Member Limited Liability Company serves as the Title Sponsor, partnering with the tournament during a pivotal leg of the journey toward the Vietnam Masters 2026.
Mr. Vo Van Tan, Chairman of Petrolimex Saigon, presents medals to the top athletes in the Men's Pro Doubles event.
The tournament also receives media support from HTV Sports and HTV-TMS, alongside leading brands including Diamond Sponsor: TTC Group; Exclusive Transport Sponsor: Vietnam Airlines; Medical Support Partner: Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital; Exclusive Match Ball Supplier: Zocker; Beverage Sponsor: Coca-Cola; and Apparel Sponsor: Coolmate. Joining the tournament as partners are Joma, Grand Castella, Wika, Potato Clothing, Kaiwin, Bac Ninh Young Entrepreneurs Association, Vloop, Stupa Sports, Dasin, Newtrend, Nam Phat, KSB, KT Express, Hodeco, Hung Hau, Michelob ULTRA, Bcons, MENAS, Dai Dung, Novaon Digital, D&T Group, APP, and DUPR.
Looking Ahead to the Vietnam Grand Slam: Vietnam Masters 2026
With the conclusion of Stage 3, the regular-season race to accumulate DRP (D-Joy Race Point) ranking points has officially ended. Players with the highest DRP rankings are now preparing for the Vietnam Masters 2026, scheduled to take place from November 24 to 29, 2026.
The Vietnam Masters 2025 is distinguished by the participation of numerous international athletes, paving the way for a larger-scale 2026 season.
Positioned as a true "Grand Slam" with a distinctive Vietnamese identity, the Vietnam Masters 2026 promises to be a global cultural and sporting hub. It will not only feature top-tier competition but also showcase Vietnam's unique culture, cuisine, and tourism experiences to the world.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper