‘I Am Happy’: Jack Wong Hong-kit Finds Peace in Pickleball, Defends Sport from Pundits
It is safe to say Hong Kong’s Jack Wong Hong-kit is happy he made the switch to pickleball.
A former tennis player, Wong Hong-kit is now somewhat of a sporting celebrity in Hong Kong thanks to his exploits in pickleball. The situation is a far cry from his days as a tennis pro, when Wong Hong-kit couldn’t quite take his career to lift-off, reaching a career-high ATP ranking of no. 653 way back in December 2018, but never really finding the kind of success athletes dream of.
Then came that fateful switch to pickleball.
It turns out, Wong Hong-kit is better at pickleball than at tennis, and in just a short time, he has seen the results—and they are no doubt encouraging. No wonder he’s happy he made that switch.
“I wasn’t quite a successful tennis player previously and didn’t often reach the podium. But now I can always get on the podium, win a tournament or two, be able to support myself financially, and even earn some money—I am happy,” he told the Hong Kong media in the days leading up to the Hong Kong Open 2025.
Indeed, Wong Hong-kit is fast proving to be one of Asia’s pre-eminent talents in pickleball, and his marathon semis showdown with Vietnam’s Giang Trinh at the Panas Malaysia Open 2025 is arguably one of the best matches played at the pro level here in Asia.
A Sport of Its Own: Wong Hong-kit Defends Pickleball
Of course, Wong Hong-kit is well aware that pickleball has detractors, specifically those who think it’s just a copycat of other racquet sports such as tennis or table tennis. Having played pickleball full time these past couple of years, the 26-year-old Hong Konger definitely knows better.
“People said it’s like tennis or table tennis, but I don’t think so; there are maybe some similar moves, but pickleball is a sport of its own,” said Wong. “Pickleball doesn’t require much stamina, but there are so many technical details and variations. It’s not like tennis, which requires sheer power, and you just need to serve hard to win.”
Wong Hong-kit even offered up something of a warning to those belittling pickleball: For what some say is an “easy” sport, pickleball can be overwhelming.
“If you ignore pickleball’s unique moves and technique, and play only with those skills from your original sports, your progress will stall after a few months. Say, for example, you cannot volley inside the kitchen zone in pickleball and have to let the ball drop. This forces you to go slow and think about how to hit. Also, the ball doesn’t bounce much, and accelerating randomly won’t impact your opponents if they are quick enough … this is where you need to think,” he explained.
The emerging pickleball star out of Hong Kong added: “Some might not understand how they missed a shot in such an ‘easy’ sport. Also, playing on such a small court means there can be a lot of repeated moves. You can easily dwell on it if you cannot do one move right. To me, pickleball isn’t about physical fitness, but creativity, imagination, and mentality.”
Wong Hong-kit to the Olympics?
At the moment, Wong Hong-kit, like most Asian pros, is looking to leave a mark at the PPA Tour Asia, which began in July with the Panas Malaysia Open 2025. The Hong Kong Open 2025 followed, with the Fukuoka and Ho Chi Minh City legs scheduled right after. The top-tier China Slam, scheduled on 1–5 October 2025, will be the tour’s penultimate stop, with another tournament in Kuala Lumpur set to close out the season.
Long term, Wong Hong-kit told the Hong Kong media his dream is to ultimately represent his country in the Olympics should pickleball make it there. It is quite literally a dream at this point in time, as pickleball isn’t even an Olympic sport. But with the way pickleball is growing worldwide, and with the process of Olympic inclusion reportedly kickstarted already, there’s a chance Wong Hong-kit might fulfil that dream in due time.
Best believe Wong Hong-kit will be ready when the opportunity presents itself.
