Len Yang emerged as a rising figure in professional pickleball after a breakthrough performance at the 2025 US Open Pickleball Championships. On April 30, 2025, in Naples, Florida, Yang and partner Trang Huynh-McClain staged a comeback from a 1-9 deficit in the first game to defeat tennis legend Andre Agassi and world No. 1 pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters in the mixed pro doubles event. The pair won 7-11, 11-4, 11-7 to advance to the quarter-finals, a result that marked a significant turning point in Yang’s career.
Reflecting on the match, Yang described the experience as surreal, highlighting the magnitude of facing high-profile opponents before a passionate crowd. Although Yang and Huynh-McClain were eliminated in the quarter-finals, the win drew widespread attention, earning Yang hundreds of direct messages and raising his profile in the sport.
Yang, who was born in New York and is 22 years old, has continued to build on that momentum. Following the US Open, he captured the men’s doubles titles at the Expo Bridge Cup China and the PPA Tour Asia’s Hong Kong Open alongside Thomas Yu in 2025. This year, he secured the mixed doubles title at the PPA Asia 500 Beijing Open and won men’s doubles gold at the PPA Asia 500 Kuala Lumpur Open with partner Collin Johns.
Currently ranked No. 28 in men’s doubles, Yang was speaking at a “Meet the Pros” event at The Sports Arena @ Expo in Singapore ahead of the PPA Asia 500 League Localporto Singapore Open scheduled from July 23-26. The tournament represents the highest-tier pickleball competition hosted in Singapore to date, featuring both amateur and professional players competing for a prize pool of up to US$79,000 (S$102,000). Other notable participants include Hong Kong’s Jack Wong, China’s top seed Long Yufei, and Singaporean players Charles Yong and Ryan Ng.
Yang began playing pickleball in 2023 after reconnecting with friends involved in the sports equipment industry. A former table tennis player and varsity basketball athlete, as well as a member of the US national dragon boat team, Yang said he quickly became hooked on pickleball after trying it recreationally near his school.
Noting the sport’s expansion beyond the United States, Yang observed rapid growth in Asia and Southeast Asia, particularly in countries like Vietnam and Malaysia where court facilities are reportedly abundant. He praised the facilities at Singapore’s Sports Arena and expressed optimism about the city-state’s potential to develop a strong pickleball program.
Kimberly Koh, managing director of United Pickleball Association (UPA) Asia, which oversees the PPA Tour Asia, echoed Yang’s sentiments. Koh described the region’s growth as significant over the past two to three years and compared the current state of pickleball in Asia to where it stood in the US several years ago. She also indicated ongoing efforts to host larger-scale tournaments in Singapore in the near future, citing strong partner support and a desire to elevate the sport’s presence locally.