The MB Hanoi Cup 2026 gets underway in a few days, and the release of the official seedings has injected early intensity into the PPA Tour Asia’s opening stop of the season.
Front and centre of the spotlight is Anna Leigh Waters, who arrives as the top seed in both Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. The American standout faces immediate expectations as she prepares for her first appearance on the international stage next month. She will be flanked by elite company, teaming up alongside World No.2 Anna Bright in the Women’s Doubles and world No.1 Ben Johns in the Mixed event. Armed with a staggering haul of more than 190 gold medals, Waters heads to Vietnam with a clear objective—edge closer to the 200-mark milestone.
Johns, meanwhile, doubles up as the leading contender in Men’s Doubles, where he partners Gabe Tardio as the top-seeded tandem. The American ace will be chasing a breakthrough gold in Asia after settling for silver and bronze during his 2025 campaign on tour.
The Men’s Singles bracket promises a fierce contest, with Federico Staksrud entering as the man to beat. The World No.2 from Argentina is no stranger to high-level competition in the region, having secured bronze at the Vibrant Linping Hangzhou Open last December. With 1000 ranking points on offer, Staksrud will be determined to mount a serious push towards reclaiming the top ranking.
Close behind him is second seed Christian Alshon, who will look to rediscover the form that saw him dominate the Panas Malaysia Cup in Kuala Lumpur last year. Third seed Connor Garnett also looms large, aiming to recreate his remarkable run in Asia, highlighted by a Men’s Singles title en route to a Triple Crown at the Sansan Fukuoka Open 2025.
On the women’s side, the Singles draw blends rising stars with proven performers. Kate Fahey leads the field in her first outing in Asia. The world No.2 boasts five singles titles among her 20 PPA singles medals and will be eager to add to that tally.
Kaitlyn Christian, currently ranked World No.3 and fresh off her Panas Malaysia Cup triumph, stands as a major obstacle to Fahey’s ambitions. Another name to watch is sixth seed Sahra Dennehy, who has built strong momentum in the region. The World No.13 closed out 2025 in dominant fashion, capturing back-to-back gold medals at the MB Vietnam Cup and the Vibrant Linping Hangzhou Open without dropping a match.
All roads lead to the My Dinh Indoor Athletics Arena in Hanoi from 1–5 April, where 1000 PPA ranking points and a prize pool of up to US$300,000 await. With the stakes firmly set, the stage is primed for a high-calibre week of pickleball.
