Pickleball player Ryan Ng, 21, aims to make the most of Trailblazers programme in US
Pickleball player Ryan Ng, 21, aims to make the most of Trailblazers programme in US
SINGAPORE – Ryan Ng never thought that he would have a chance to turn professional in any sport despite having played tennis since he was six-years-old.
But the Singaporean, who switched to pickleball during the Covid-19 pandemic three years ago, now has the opportunity to make his wish come true after he was selected in the inaugural batch for the United Pickleball Association (UPA) Asia Trailblazers Programme.
The 21-year-old, who will complete his national service on May 3, is set to join up two days later with 11 other Asian players – from China, Taiwan, Macau, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan – for a three-month all-expense paid stint in Arizona.
The group, chosen from over 100 applicants from 13 territories across Asia, will be exposed to intensive training, mentorship from professionals and coaches and compete in PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) Tour and MLP (Major League Pickleball) events as part of the move to position pickleball as a leading sport across the region.
At the end of the programme, successful players will be awarded two-year UPA Asia professional contracts and get to play in the PPA and MLP Asia stops, with the first in early July.
Aiming to 'embrace the pressure, improve and stay hungry', Ng said: 'I never really thought about going pro in pickleball but it is definitely a dream come true.
'And I'm excited to play pickleball at that high level. It definitely also means committing to the sport in every way and hopefully, it's just the start of something bigger.'
While his selection came as a surprise as he was 'just trying my luck' when he applied for the programme, he was grateful for the opportunity.
'It's a great honour to be the only Singaporean selected for the programme. And to me, it is a source of pride to represent my country on the international level.
'But I think it also comes with a sense of responsibility. When I'm there in the US playing and competing, I'm not just playing for myself, but also for my country,' said the 2025 Singapore Pickleball Open mixed doubles champion and men's singles bronze medallist.
'Pickleball is my new-found love and I will make the most out of this programme and strive to be the best that I can.'
His first assignment will be the Atlanta Slam from May 12-18, which is the highest tier event on the PPA (USA) calendar and will feature top pros such as men's world No. 1 Federico Staksrud and women's top-ranked Anna Leigh Waters.
Due to his NS commitments, Ng said that he could only train two or three times a week, but will have to up his level soon.
'Right out the gate, I am already going to be playing the Atlanta Slam and I think I just have to take it one step at a time and while I'm there I have to focus on sharpening my game,' added Ng, who is Singapore's fifth-ranked men's player.
'Consistency has kind of been an issue because I haven't been able to play as much as I would like and when I'm there, I'm definitely going to be playing a lot, like six days a week.'
Having played tennis for his school, Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road), at the National School Games besides dabbling in other racket sports, Ng was introduced to pickleball by his father during the pandemic, when they faced difficulties booking public and private tennis courts.
Since then, he has got hooked as he honed his skills learnt from videos on the internet.
On which player he models his game after, Ng said: 'I tend to be called a 'banger' in pickleball... someone who hits hard, so maybe (tennis legends) Andy Roddick or Pete Sampras, they hit quite hard.'
Once seen as a geriatric sport, the pickleball craze has not only swept across the US, becoming the fastest-growing sport in the country for the fourth consecutive year, but it also gained popularity in Singapore over the last few years, with about 5,000 active players here.
Ex-tennis players Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf are among those who have picked up the bats, with the former making his professional debut at the US Open Pickleball Championships in April.
Ng said: 'It's great, you know, (pickleball) kind of gives them a second life. Just because you retired in another sport, it doesn't mean that you can't play another sport.
'Even for myself, I stopped and kind of gave up tennis and transitioned to pickleball. So I think there's nothing wrong with it. In fact, it's a good move and I think if you enjoy the sport, why not go all the way.'
Melvyn Teoh is a sports journalist at The Straits Times.
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