Quang Duong’s time with the PPA Tour and MLP Presented by DoorDash is officially over.
This after the United Pickleball Association (UPA) terminated the 19-year-old’s contract due to what the former describes as “repeated violations of the exclusivity terms the agreement.”
The United Pickleball Association has terminated the contract of Quang Duong for multiple and repeated violations of the exclusivity terms the agreement,” the UPA said in a statement announcing the young star’s termination.
Quang Duong, the Contract Violator?
According to the association, Duong has continued violating said terms, leaving the UPA no other recourse but to essentially fire the no. 6 ranked player in the PPA Tour.
“Despite numerous attempts to work with Duong and his team—including conversations, warnings, and fines—there have been continued and consistent misrepresentation of facts and contract breaches,” the UPA further said.
Duong was previously fined by the UPA $50,000 and suspended for a tournament after he played in a non-PPA event in his home country of Vietnam. The young man, a proud Vietnamese, has been actively promoting pickleball in Vietnam and was recently in attendance at the grand opening of a pickleball clubhouse.
Hurting the UPA Brand?
Evidently, the UPA thinks Duong is compromising the UPA’s integrity and overall brand with his unsanctioned pickleball stints in his home country and whatever it is that construes “repeated violations of the exclusivity terms.”
“We are still in the early stages of building this sport, which requires strong alignment amongst all our stakeholders domestically and internationally. Every player has an exclusivity clause in their contract which allows us to preserve the integrity of our brand and its sponsors,” the UPA argued. “Duong’s actions run contrary to the strategic vision of the UPA and undercut the leadership that the UPA and all of our incredible athletes and partners have taken to elevate the sport globally.”
Quang Duong has not responded to the termination as of press time—at least not publicly.
