Opinion: UPA had no choice but to part with Quang Duong after repeated contract violations
Last Edited
Jul 12 2025
Category
News
The pickleball world got a jolt Saturday morning when 19-year-old PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball phenom Quang Duong had his contract with the United Pickleball Association terminated due to another breach (the second in the past two months), according to the governing body of the pro tours.
Duong had reportedly told his Major League Pickleball team -- the Los Angeles Mad Drops -- that he needed to miss this week's Mid-Season Tournament because he was getting a medical operation in his family's native Vietnam. But it became known to the UPA that Duong had attended pickleball events while he was there that weren't sanctioned by the league, and he had not gotten prior approval.
Duong was suspended and fined $50,000 for a similar instance toward the end of May. Now the UPA has said enough is enough.
Duong's deal with the PPA Tour and MLP was worth a reported $300,000 per year, but he seems to be making a bet that he can get more than that playing in Asia. That would explain why he appeared to have little regard for the multiple warnings he was given that he couldn't participate in pickleball events there without prior approval from the UPA.
The UPA said in its statement announcing the contract termination that "each player has an exclusivity clause in their contract which allows us to preserve the integrity of our brand and our sponsors."
It’s unclear at this time whether Duong could still enter PPA Tour events through qualifiers. Per PPA Tour rules, his ranking would have to drop below 50 before he’d even be eligible to do that, and we're guessing he has other plans.
But his exit from biggest stage in pickleball raises bigger questions. What happens when a bright young talent chooses a different path? And can a star shine as brightly elsewhere?
From meteoric rise to dramatic exit
Duong's ascent in the pro game was meteoric. With lighting-fast court coverage and an aggressive style that had not been seen before, he quickly made a name for himself as a top prospect.
But this season, the trajectory that once pointed straight up has begun to flatten out. His results have been inconsistent, and speculation has grown about whether his frequent overseas trips to Vietnam, along with his disregard for contractual obligations, had impacted his play on court.
Duong's father, Duc Duong, had made it well known that they were focused on “maximizing value” off the court.
And there’s nothing wrong with that. Athletes in all sports often chase the biggest check. Windows of opportunity are small and fleeting.
But there is a trade-off.
The PPA Tour and MLP are clearly the biggest stages in the sport. They offer more than just a steady salary -- they offer visibility, legitimacy and a runway to long-term brand building and sponsorship opportunities.
For rising stars, these platforms aren’t just where you prove you belong -- they’re where you build your value for the future.
Duc had confirmed that Quang’s recent sponsorship deal with Vietnamese paddle brand Sypik was worth more than $500,000 annually. Would that value have been there if he had not been playing on the PPA Tour and in MLP?
Walk away from that, and you’re betting that the value you’re leaving behind can be made up elsewhere. That’s a big bet for a 19-year-old. Then again, Quang may not be the one placing it.
The Duong Dynasty
It’s impossible to separate Quang’s decisions from his family dynamic. Duc is very much the patriarch -- defiant, outspoken and hands-on. He has long been vocal about ensuring his son receives top value for his talent.
Some might call it smart parenting, others might see it as an over aggressive parent micromanaging their talented child’s career. Either way, it’s shaped Quang’s path and now altered the arc of his career.
And let's not forget: The Duongs have another rising star in the pipeline. Bao Duong, Quang’s 14-year-old brother, has already shown signs of elite potential.
Having spent lots of time at PPA Tour and MLP events, we can confirm that both Quang and Bao are incredible young men who are well-liked by fellow players on tour.
But with Vietnam emerging as one of the sport’s fastest-growing markets, it’s easy to see Duc eyeing a Duong Dynasty and brand expansion in Asia.
UPA's evolution and recent announcements play key role
This saga comes at a pivotal moment for the UPA, which just announced sweeping changes to how players will be compensated moving forward.
The era of guaranteed high salaries just for being on tour is ending. Instead, those who rise to the top and consistently win among the best in the world will earn significantly more.
The rest still have an opportunity to compete for prize money, but until they prove they can win on a regular basis, they will have to hustle off the court, leveraging their PPA and MLP credentials with clinics, sponsorships, content and whatever else can help afford them the opportunity to stay on tour.
Read next: Opinion: New PPA Tour and MLP prize money structure is a win for pro pickleball
In this context, Quang’s exit begs even more questions. Is it a preemptive move to build the Duong Dynasty in Vietnam? Or a concession that Quang’s 2025 results aren’t going to yield the same value that he can get in Asia right now?
Overseeing all of this is Connor Pardoe, the 30-year-old founder of the PPA Tour. In just five years, Pardoe has taken a sport once seen as a retirement hobby and turned it into a professional tour with global recognition. Under his leadership, the PPA and MLP have already started expanding into Asia, a move that makes the Quang situation all the more intriguing.
Will Pardoe and the PPA find a way to bring Quang back into the fold in Asia as they expand throughout the region? Or will Quang attempt to carve his own path through independent events and give credibility to emerging competitors?
What happens next?
This is one of those rare crossroads moments that might shape how future players and their families navigate the business side of pickleball.
Quang is still young. Still talented. Still marketable. But the question remains: Can you become the face of a global sport if you’re not playing on its biggest stage?
Talent will always yield opportunities, but it's disappointing that the rest of us won’t be seeing Quang’s game evolve among the best players week to week.
We wish him and Bao all the luck in the world. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.
But this is pickleball, and if we have learned anything over the past few years, there is absolutely no telling how this all ends.
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