Quang Duong Headlines Stacked Penang Open As APP Asia Tour Returns to Malaysia

The APP Asia Tour is back in Malaysia, and it has brought some of the most compelling storylines of the season with it.

The Leapmotor APP Asia Penang Open runs from 22 to 26 July at Pickle By The Sea on Gurney Drive, the second stop of the inaugural seven-event APP Asia Tour calendar following February’s record-breaking Kuala Lumpur Open. The field assembled for Penang is among the strongest seen on a professional pickleball circuit in Southeast Asia—a mix of internationally recognised APP professionals, Asia’s leading players, and one highly anticipated debut that gives this event a particular sense of occasion.

Quang Duong Continues Asian Conquest

All eyes will be on Quang Duong. The APP-signed professional makes his APP Asia Tour debut in Penang, and the anticipation around his arrival is justified. Duong has built a reputation quickly—explosive athleticism, fearless shot-making, and the ability to dictate rallies from anywhere on court. He arrives fresh from winning the Men’s Doubles title at the D-Joy Pickleball Tour Leg 2 in Vietnam alongside Harsh Mehta, and that same partnership will compete together in Penang’s Men’s Doubles draw.

In Men’s Singles, Duong faces strong competition from Jack Foster, whose composed all-round game makes him a consistent title threat. Malaysian Aiman Hamdan carries the home crowd’s hopes as the highest-seeded local in the singles draw, aiming to use that support to push deep against a formidable international field.

Van Reek in Red-Hot Form

If Duong is the most anticipated debut, Roos van Reek is the player arriving with the most momentum.

The Dutch star won bronze in Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles at February’s Kuala Lumpur Open on her APP Asia Tour debut. Since then she has elevated her game considerably, completing a remarkable Triple Crown at the D-Joy Pickleball Tour Leg 2 in Vietnam—gold in Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles in a single tournament. She arrives in Penang as one of the clear favourites for the Women’s Singles title.

Taiwan’s Pei-Chuan Kao brings tactical discipline and patience that makes her dangerous against any opponent. Croatia’s Domenika Turkovic, who took Women’s Singles bronze in Kuala Lumpur, returns aiming to go further.

Defending Champions, New Partners

The doubles draws carry their own compelling storylines—most of which involve champions returning with different partners.

Jack Munro won the Men’s Doubles title in Kuala Lumpur alongside Richard Livornese Jr. In Penang, he defends alongside rising APP professional Aidan Schenk, whose gold at the 2025 Zimmer Biomet APP New York City Open established him as one of the tour’s most exciting young players. The pairing of Munro’s experience and Schenk’s athleticism makes them immediate contenders.

In Women’s Doubles, Vivian Glozman and Van Reek arrive as favourites after winning together in Vietnam. Defending Kuala Lumpur champion Megan Fudge returns—this time with Amber Policare rather than Sofia Sewing. Allison Harris and Amanda Hendry round out the leading contenders.

Mixed Doubles may be the tournament’s most unpredictable draw. Munro and Van Reek reunite after their Kuala Lumpur bronze. Fudge joins forces with Schenk, combining championship experience with emerging talent. Quang Duong partners Hendry, a combination that reached the 2025 D-Joy Vietnam Masters final before losing to Munro and Fudge. Penang is their chance to go one better.

The Bigger Picture

The APP Asia Tour has committed to seven stops across Malaysia, China, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, India, and Vietnam in 2026. Malaysia has emerged as the tour’s regional home base, and Penang’s place on the calendar reinforces that positioning.

Gurney Drive’s waterfront setting, an elite international field, and a debut that the entire pickleball community has been waiting to see—the Leapmotor APP Asia Penang Open has everything it needs to deliver a memorable week.

The APP Asia Tour’s second chapter starts Wednesday.