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Duong Out: Pickleball Star's Contract Terminated Over Tournament Skip
On July 13, 2025, a significant and somewhat dramatic event unfolded in the world of professional pickleball involving a rising star, Quang Duong. Duong, a prominent figure in Asian pickleball, had his contract with the United Pickleball Association (UPA) terminated. This decision came after Duong missed the mandatory Major League Pickleball Midseason Tournament held from July 9 to 13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, without obtaining prior permission. Instead of competing, he was participating in a commercial pickleball camp, which was a violation of his contract terms with the UPA.
The termination followed a series of controversies for Duong. Earlier in May, he was fined $50,000 and suspended from one Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour event and four Major League Pickleball matches because he competed in an unapproved international tournament that offered prize money. The UPA officially communicated the contract termination through a letter dated July 12, 2025, marking a significant moment in professional pickleball league management and athlete compliance policies.
This event underscores the growing professionalism and regulation within the sport, reflecting how pickleball is evolving from a casual backyard game invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, into a highly competitive and governed sport with serious contractual obligations and global reach. Quang Duong’s case highlights the tension players face between competitive commitments and commercial opportunities in a rapidly expanding sporting landscape.
The story of pickleball began in 1965 when Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum combined elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis to create a new sport. The name "pickleball" itself has an interesting origin, confirmed to be named after the "pickle boat" term in rowing rather than the family dog named Pickles, who was born a few years after the sport was invented. Over the decades, pickleball has grown steadily, with the first official courts built in the late 1960s, the first tournaments in the 1970s, and formal governing bodies and rulebooks by the 1980s.
Today, pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide, with professional leagues, international championships, and major tournaments attracting top athletes and media attention. The UPA’s enforcement action on July 13, 2025, illustrates how seriously the sport’s leadership treats adherence to league rules and player contracts, signaling pickleball’s maturation as a professional sport.
Thank you for tuning in. If you enjoyed this dive into pickleball history and today's notable event, please remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3Qs
For more check out http://www.quietplease.ai
The termination followed a series of controversies for Duong. Earlier in May, he was fined $50,000 and suspended from one Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour event and four Major League Pickleball matches because he competed in an unapproved international tournament that offered prize money. The UPA officially communicated the contract termination through a letter dated July 12, 2025, marking a significant moment in professional pickleball league management and athlete compliance policies.
This event underscores the growing professionalism and regulation within the sport, reflecting how pickleball is evolving from a casual backyard game invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, into a highly competitive and governed sport with serious contractual obligations and global reach. Quang Duong’s case highlights the tension players face between competitive commitments and commercial opportunities in a rapidly expanding sporting landscape.
The story of pickleball began in 1965 when Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum combined elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis to create a new sport. The name "pickleball" itself has an interesting origin, confirmed to be named after the "pickle boat" term in rowing rather than the family dog named Pickles, who was born a few years after the sport was invented. Over the decades, pickleball has grown steadily, with the first official courts built in the late 1960s, the first tournaments in the 1970s, and formal governing bodies and rulebooks by the 1980s.
Today, pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide, with professional leagues, international championships, and major tournaments attracting top athletes and media attention. The UPA’s enforcement action on July 13, 2025, illustrates how seriously the sport’s leadership treats adherence to league rules and player contracts, signaling pickleball’s maturation as a professional sport.
Thank you for tuning in. If you enjoyed this dive into pickleball history and today's notable event, please remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3Qs
For more check out http://www.quietplease.ai
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By Quiet. PleaseOn July 13, 2025, a significant and somewhat dramatic event unfolded in the world of professional pickleball involving a rising star, Quang Duong. Duong, a prominent figure in Asian pickleball, had his contract with the United Pickleball Association (UPA) terminated. This decision came after Duong missed the mandatory Major League Pickleball Midseason Tournament held from July 9 to 13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, without obtaining prior permission. Instead of competing, he was participating in a commercial pickleball camp, which was a violation of his contract terms with the UPA.
The termination followed a series of controversies for Duong. Earlier in May, he was fined $50,000 and suspended from one Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour event and four Major League Pickleball matches because he competed in an unapproved international tournament that offered prize money. The UPA officially communicated the contract termination through a letter dated July 12, 2025, marking a significant moment in professional pickleball league management and athlete compliance policies.
This event underscores the growing professionalism and regulation within the sport, reflecting how pickleball is evolving from a casual backyard game invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, into a highly competitive and governed sport with serious contractual obligations and global reach. Quang Duong’s case highlights the tension players face between competitive commitments and commercial opportunities in a rapidly expanding sporting landscape.
The story of pickleball began in 1965 when Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum combined elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis to create a new sport. The name "pickleball" itself has an interesting origin, confirmed to be named after the "pickle boat" term in rowing rather than the family dog named Pickles, who was born a few years after the sport was invented. Over the decades, pickleball has grown steadily, with the first official courts built in the late 1960s, the first tournaments in the 1970s, and formal governing bodies and rulebooks by the 1980s.
Today, pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide, with professional leagues, international championships, and major tournaments attracting top athletes and media attention. The UPA’s enforcement action on July 13, 2025, illustrates how seriously the sport’s leadership treats adherence to league rules and player contracts, signaling pickleball’s maturation as a professional sport.
Thank you for tuning in. If you enjoyed this dive into pickleball history and today's notable event, please remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3Qs
For more check out http://www.quietplease.ai
The termination followed a series of controversies for Duong. Earlier in May, he was fined $50,000 and suspended from one Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour event and four Major League Pickleball matches because he competed in an unapproved international tournament that offered prize money. The UPA officially communicated the contract termination through a letter dated July 12, 2025, marking a significant moment in professional pickleball league management and athlete compliance policies.
This event underscores the growing professionalism and regulation within the sport, reflecting how pickleball is evolving from a casual backyard game invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, into a highly competitive and governed sport with serious contractual obligations and global reach. Quang Duong’s case highlights the tension players face between competitive commitments and commercial opportunities in a rapidly expanding sporting landscape.
The story of pickleball began in 1965 when Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum combined elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis to create a new sport. The name "pickleball" itself has an interesting origin, confirmed to be named after the "pickle boat" term in rowing rather than the family dog named Pickles, who was born a few years after the sport was invented. Over the decades, pickleball has grown steadily, with the first official courts built in the late 1960s, the first tournaments in the 1970s, and formal governing bodies and rulebooks by the 1980s.
Today, pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide, with professional leagues, international championships, and major tournaments attracting top athletes and media attention. The UPA’s enforcement action on July 13, 2025, illustrates how seriously the sport’s leadership treats adherence to league rules and player contracts, signaling pickleball’s maturation as a professional sport.
Thank you for tuning in. If you enjoyed this dive into pickleball history and today's notable event, please remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3Qs
For more check out http://www.quietplease.ai