Anna Leigh Waters, Hanoi pressure, Phuc Huynh, Ly Hoang Nam and Chris Haworth No.1

In this week’s World Pickleball Podcast, Chris Beaumont and Gordon Watson dig into the biggest talking points from the MB Hanoi Cup and the wider pro game.

The show opens with a light-hearted detour into English Open plans before turning to the real debate: Anna Leigh Waters withdrawing from women’s singles in Hanoi after a packed run of tournaments. Chris and Gordon discuss whether the professional schedule is starting to ask too much of the sport’s biggest names, and whether it was the right look for Waters’ first major international appearance in Vietnam.

They also get into Phuc Huynh’s decision not to play, the wider concerns around PPA Asia exclusivity, and whether some American players are being protected too far into the draw at the expense of local and regional talent.

From there, the conversation moves courtside. Chris and Gordon break down Ly Hoang Nam’s controversial win over Christian Alshon, the disputed line call that followed, and what the result means for Vietnam’s growing place in the pro game. There is also discussion of Hong Kit Wong and Eunggwon Kim’s big doubles win over Tyson McGuffin and Riley Newman, Mitchell Hargreaves’ strong run, the women’s singles picture in Hanoi, and the early shape of the mixed doubles and women’s doubles draws.

The episode then shifts back to the United States, where Chris Haworth’s rise to world No.1 in men’s singles is placed under the microscope. Chris and Gordon also talk about how hard it is becoming to close out matches against the sport’s very best players, what that says about the current level beneath the elite, and whether the PPA’s dominance is helping or hurting the storytelling around the pro game.

This episode covers:

• Anna Leigh Waters withdrawing from singles in Hanoi
• whether the pro schedule is becoming too congested
• Phuc Huynh’s boycott and the PPA Asia contract debate
• Ly Hoang Nam’s win over Christian Alshon
• the line-call controversy in Hanoi
• Hong Kit Wong and Eunggwon Kim’s standout doubles result
• Mitchell Hargreaves’ strong run
• Chris Haworth becoming world No.1
• why top players are becoming harder to close out against

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