Some moments make you stop and think about what really matters. For Jack Wong Hong-kit, one of Asia’s top pro pickleball players, that moment came the day after the MLP Nations Cup, when the car he was driving flipped in a crash. Remarkably, he walked away largely unharmed.
‘The Car Just Flipped’
Jack Wong Hong-kit, who represented Hong Kong, China, with Team Asia International at the MLP Nations Cup, was heading to the court to practise when it happened.
“After the MLP Nations Cup, the next day I was resting,” he recalled. “On the way to the court to practice, I got hit by a car and the car just flipped.”
Somewhat miraculously, he was able to leave the overturned vehicle with barely a scratch. “The only scratch I had was from when I was crawling out from the car,” he noted.
A Sleepless Night
Even without a serious physical injury, the crash stayed with him. “The night after the accident, I kept thinking about it,” Wong said. “It kept going through my mind. I couldn’t really sleep.”
The timing made it tougher still. It came just days after a difficult Nations Cup for Wong’s team. Asia International finished winless in Pool B, and the crash then landed on the eve of the biggest event of the year on the PPA Tour calendar, the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships.
Back on the Court, With a New Perspective
Even so, Wong still showed up. On Tuesday, he won his opening-round matches in both Men’s Singles and Mixed Doubles, the latter with Kei Sawaki. As of press time, the dynamic Hong Konger is set to face Donald Young in the Round of 16 after Eric Oncins withdrew in the Round of 32, resulting in a walkover for Wong.
But the results, he says, aren’t the main thing right now. “I was really lucky; I could have died or been really seriously injured, but I’m just glad that I’m alive and really appreciate life,” he shared. “I’m trying to really just enjoy every moment on the court and just play and have fun.”
In Jack Wong Hong-kit’s Own Words
Wong also shared a message on Instagram reflecting on the experience:
Life is indeed fragile, and this time in the car accident, I narrowly escaped death.
It’s not until an accident happens that you realize how precious life is,
having a healthy body and being with loved ones is the best gift.
A moment can change a lot.
The world champion is no longer important, people’s safety and health are the most important.
Please cherish the people around you, and I wish everyone peace.
It’s a sobering note from a player who, only days earlier, was chasing results on one of pickleball’s biggest stages. For fans across Asia, the main takeaway is a relief that Jack Wong Hong-kit is safe, and a reminder that what happens off the court matters more than any title.
