Hong Kong’s Wong Hong Kit secured his third consecutive men’s singles title at the Leapmotor Singapore Open pickleball tournament on July 26, overcoming a slow start in the final to defeat American Adam Harvey. The event took place at The Sports Arena @ Expo as part of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour Asia 500 series.
Wong, ranked No. 14 globally, fell behind 3-0 in the deciding game against 19th-ranked Harvey before mounting a remarkable comeback. The turnaround was credited in part to advice from Wong’s training partner Marco Leung, who had lost to him in the semi-finals the previous day. Leung suggested targeting Harvey’s backhand, a strategy that proved effective as Wong rallied to win 11 consecutive points, ultimately sealing the match 6-11, 11-7, 11-3.
Following his victory, Wong described Leung and his doubles partner Kim Eung-gwon as key sources of support and insight, highlighting their role in identifying areas Wong may have overlooked during play. Wong, a former tennis player with a career-high ATP singles ranking of 653, will continue his season at the Ho Chi Minh City Open from August 6 to 9. Alongside Kim, he is focusing on improving his results in men’s doubles, where the pair have earned five bronze medals this year, having not yet advanced past the semifinals.
In the women’s singles final, China’s Long Yufei, the world No. 15, overcame compatriot Anni Xie, ranked 74th, with a 11-4, 11-0 victory. Long also teamed up with Hong Kong’s Kara Wheatley to capture the women’s doubles title, narrowly defeating American Jamie Haas and China’s Kong Lingwei 11-7, 12-10. Despite an initial 10-5 lead in the second set, Long and Wheatley faced a strong comeback from their opponents before closing out the match.
Long, who also competed in mixed doubles with American Lucas Pascoe, expressed fatigue from participating extensively in multiple categories throughout the tournament. She indicated that future tournaments might see her limiting participation to singles and women’s doubles events to better manage physical and mental demands.
In the men’s doubles final, second-seeded Americans Len Yang and Collin Johns won a three-game match against Vietnam’s Hien Truong and Japan’s Kenta Miyoshi, finishing 11-4, 4-11, 11-5. Yang and Johns secured their second title of the season following their earlier success at the Kuala Lumpur Open in May. Both players praised their effective partnership and shared commitment to continuous improvement.
The mixed doubles championship was claimed by American duo Jaeda Minnifield and Luc Pham, who defeated compatriot Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall and Australian Robert Stirling 11-9, 7-11, 11-5 in the final, rounding off a competitive event that showcased rising talent in the Asian pickleball circuit.