The Best-Dressed Pros at the PPA MB Hanoi Cup

The PPA Tour made its highly anticipated return to Asia with the MB Hanoi Cup in Vietnam, and the event delivered on all fronts. Beyond the exceptional level of play that fans have come to expect from professional pickleball, the tournament showcased something equally captivating: the evolving style and fashion presence that continues to define the sport’s aesthetic identity. As pickleball expands its international footprint, events like the Hanoi Cup demonstrate how the sport is growing not just in popularity, but in its cultural relevance and visual appeal.

The humidity and heat of Hanoi presented unique challenges for the athletes, making their outfit choices not just a matter of personal expression but also practical considerations for performance. Despite these demanding conditions, the professionals brought their fashion game, proving that style and athleticism can coexist even in the most challenging environments. The tournament became a showcase for how pickleball apparel has evolved to meet the demands of international competition while maintaining the bold, expressive looks that have become synonymous with the modern game.

What stood out most at this event was the diversity of brands represented on court, from established sportswear giants to emerging pickleball-specific labels and even local Vietnamese designers. This mixing of global and local fashion sensibilities created a unique visual landscape that reflected the international nature of the event itself. The players’ willingness to experiment with color, silhouette, and style while competing at the highest level speaks to the confidence and personality that defines this generation of pickleball professionals.

Understanding Pickleball Fashion and Why It Matters

For those who might be new to following professional pickleball or wondering why athlete fashion deserves attention, it’s worth understanding the unique role that style plays in this sport. Unlike some traditional sports where uniforms are standardized and personal expression is limited, pickleball has embraced individuality from its earliest days. The sport’s relatively recent rise to prominence means it hasn’t been weighed down by decades of conservative dress codes or rigid expectations about what athletes should wear on court.

This freedom has allowed players to express themselves through their clothing choices in ways that resonate with fans and help build their personal brands. In an era where professional athletes are also content creators and influencers, what they wear becomes part of their identity and connection with their audience. A player’s outfit can become as recognizable as their playing style, helping fans identify their favorites from across the court or through their screens.

The practical aspects of pickleball apparel also matter significantly. The sport requires extensive lateral movement, quick directional changes, and hours of play in varying weather conditions. Fabrics need to breathe, designs need to allow full range of motion, and fits need to stay secure without restricting movement. When a player looks good and feels comfortable, it can contribute to their confidence and performance on court. The intersection of fashion and function in pickleball has driven innovation in athletic apparel design, with many brands now creating pieces specifically engineered for the unique demands of the sport.

Additionally, the growth of pickleball style as a distinct category reflects the sport’s broader cultural impact. As pickleball courts pop up in communities across the United States and around the world, what people wear to play has become part of the sport’s identity. Professional players serve as style ambassadors, influencing what recreational players choose to wear and helping to define the aesthetic of pickleball culture.

Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall: A Monochrome Strawberry Statement

Making her debut on the best-dressed list, Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall delivered a confident and cohesive look that immediately caught attention. Her choice to wear EQL Apparel’s matching strawberry set demonstrated an understanding of how monochrome dressing can create visual impact without overwhelming complexity. The Celebre Tank paired perfectly with the Celebre Classic Skirt, both in the same vibrant strawberry hue that brought energy and personality to the court.

The choice of strawberry as a color is particularly interesting because it occupies that sweet spot between pink and red, offering femininity without being overly soft, and boldness without being aggressive. In the context of Hanoi’s bright, tropical setting, this color choice felt both appropriate and eye-catching. The monochrome approach also creates a streamlined, sophisticated appearance that can make an athlete appear taller and more unified in their presentation.

What elevated this outfit beyond just being a matching set was the pleated skirt detail. Pleats serve both aesthetic and functional purposes in athletic wear. They add movement and dimension to the garment, creating visual interest as the player moves around the court. The way pleated fabric catches light and creates shadow adds depth to what might otherwise be a flat expanse of color. Functionally, pleats allow for greater range of motion while maintaining a fitted appearance at the waist, giving players the freedom they need without sacrificing the polished look.

The overall effect of Wang-Beckvall’s outfit was polished and professional while still feeling fresh and modern. EQL Apparel has been making waves in the pickleball fashion space with designs that understand the specific needs of the sport while maintaining fashion-forward sensibilities. This outfit exemplified that balance perfectly, proving that players don’t have to choose between looking good and performing well.

Kaitlyn Christian: Continuing Her Mizuno Winning Streak

Kaitlyn Christian has been turning heads all year with her Mizuno looks, and the Hanoi Cup was no exception. Her choice of the Mizuno Women’s Printed Dress in phantom green continued her streak of standout outfits that have made her one of the most consistently well-dressed players on tour. The phantom green color is particularly sophisticated, offering a muted yet distinctive alternative to brighter greens that can sometimes appear harsh under bright lighting or in photography.

What makes Christian’s style choices noteworthy is the consistency of her aesthetic. While some players experiment wildly with different looks from tournament to tournament, Christian has developed a recognizable style signature through her partnership with Mizuno. This consistency helps build her visual brand, making her immediately identifiable to fans and creating a cohesive image across her social media and tournament appearances.

Mizuno’s expertise in athletic apparel shines through in their pickleball designs. The brand’s history in tennis and other racquet sports means they understand the specific movement patterns and durability requirements that pickleball demands. Their printed dress designs typically incorporate subtle patterns that add visual interest without being distracting, and the phantom green chosen by Christian exemplified this approach. The color is distinctive enough to stand out on court but sophisticated enough to photograph beautifully and appeal to a wide range of aesthetic preferences.

The dress silhouette also deserves mention for its classic yet contemporary lines. A dress offers simplicity in getting ready for matches while providing the coverage and comfort that many players prefer. The single-piece construction eliminates the worry about tops riding up or separating from bottoms during play, allowing athletes to focus entirely on their performance.

Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters: Coordinated Spring Elegance

The decision by Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters to coordinate their outfits in matching sage green tops with white skirts created a memorable visual moment that spoke to both their partnership and the spring aesthetic they were cultivating. Coordinated outfits between doubles partners or friends can create a sense of unity and team identity, even in a sport where individual expression is celebrated. The sage green and white combination felt fresh, clean, and perfectly suited to the season and setting.

Anna Bright’s outfit paired an Amazon top with the JOOLA women’s pickleball skort, demonstrating how mixing accessible pieces with sport-specific apparel can create effective on-court looks. This approach makes style more accessible to everyday players who might be inspired by professional looks but working with different budgets. The fact that a top from Amazon could work seamlessly with a specialized pickleball skort shows that great style doesn’t always require premium pricing on every piece.

Anna Leigh Waters opted for Nike’s premium offerings, wearing the One Fitted Women’s Dri-FIT Cropped Tank Top in steam paired with the Nike One Women’s Dri-FIT Skirt. The Dri-FIT technology is particularly relevant in the humid conditions of Hanoi, where moisture management becomes crucial for comfort and performance. Nike’s steam color in the cropped tank matched beautifully with Bright’s sage green, creating that coordinated look without being overly matchy.

The cropped tank style has become increasingly popular in pickleball, offering a modern silhouette that allows for maximum arm mobility while providing the core coverage that athletes prefer. The white skirts on both players created a clean base that allowed the sage and steam green tops to take center stage while maintaining an overall feeling of lightness and freshness. This color combination spoke to current fashion trends while remaining timeless enough to look just as good in future tournament photos.

Tyra Hurricane Black: Supporting Local Design

Tyra Hurricane Black’s outfit choice carried special significance beyond just its aesthetic appeal. By wearing the Olaben Active Open Back Pleated Dress from Vietnamese brand Olaben, she demonstrated cultural awareness and support for local designers in the tournament’s host country. This kind of gesture resonates deeply with local fans and shows a level of engagement with the host community that goes beyond simply showing up to compete.

The dress itself featured design elements that made it stand out on court. The open back detail added an unexpected element of interest to what might otherwise be a standard black dress. Open back designs serve multiple purposes in athletic wear: they provide additional ventilation, which is crucial in hot and humid conditions; they create visual interest from multiple angles, which matters in a sport where players are constantly turning and moving; and they add a touch of elegance and femininity that can make athletes feel confident and stylish.

The pleated skirt component of the dress echoed the design element seen on other players throughout the tournament, confirming pleats as a major trend in current pickleball fashion. The choice of black as the color was classic and sophisticated, providing a neutral canvas that allowed the design details to shine. Black also has practical advantages in athletic wear, as it tends to be forgiving with sweat marks and photographs well in various lighting conditions.

Olaben’s inclusion in a major international tournament also speaks to the growing global nature of pickleball apparel. As the sport expands internationally, local and regional brands have opportunities to showcase their designs on international stages, and players like Black who choose to wear these brands help amplify diverse voices in the pickleball fashion conversation.

Jessie Irvine: Bubble Skirt Innovation

Jessie Irvine brought something distinctly different to the court with the Madrid Bubble Dress from 11-NIL in court green. The bubble skirt silhouette represents a bold departure from the more traditional pleated or straight skirt styles that dominate pickleball fashion, and Irvine’s willingness to wear this distinctive look speaks to her fashion confidence and adventurous spirit.

Bubble skirts create their characteristic shape through gathering at the hem, which causes the fabric to puff out and create a rounded silhouette. This design adds significant visual interest and personality to an outfit. In the context of athletic wear, it’s a relatively rare choice because the gathered fabric can sometimes restrict movement. However, when executed well with the right fabrics and construction, a bubble skirt can maintain its shape while still allowing for the dynamic movement that pickleball requires.

The court green color choice was particularly apt, as green has been trending heavily in pickleball fashion this season. The shade chosen by Irvine was vibrant enough to stand out but earthy enough to feel grounded rather than garish. Court green specifically references the traditional color of tennis courts, creating a subtle nod to racquet sport heritage while bringing that reference into the modern pickleball context.

11-NIL as a brand has been pushing boundaries in pickleball fashion, and the Madrid Bubble Dress exemplifies their willingness to bring runway-inspired elements into sport-specific designs. This approach appeals to players who see their on-court appearance as an extension of their personal style rather than simply a functional necessity. Irvine’s choice to wear this piece demonstrates how professional pickleball is creating space for genuine fashion innovation rather than simply adapting looks from tennis or other established sports.

Aryaan Bhatia: Crisp Whites with a Pop

In men’s pickleball fashion, where the palette often skews toward dark colors and simple designs, Aryaan Bhatia’s all-white JOOLA outfit stood out for its crisp, clean aesthetic. He wore the JOOLA Men’s Club Short Sleeve paired with the JOOLA Short Maco, creating a monochrome look that harked back to traditional tennis whites while feeling entirely contemporary in its execution.

The all-white aesthetic carries significant cultural weight in racquet sports, having been the required dress code for tennis at Wimbledon for over a century. By choosing this color palette, Bhatia connected himself to that heritage while making it relevant for modern pickleball. White is also an excellent choice for hot weather conditions, as it reflects rather than absorbs heat, helping athletes stay cooler during long matches in tropical climates.

What prevented this outfit from being too plain or traditional was the addition of light green compression shorts underneath. This pop of color added personality and visual interest while serving practical purposes. Compression wear provides muscle support, can improve circulation, and helps with temperature regulation. The light green created a subtle but noticeable contrast against the white, giving the outfit dimension without disrupting its overall cohesion.

The layering of compression shorts under regular shorts has become increasingly common in pickleball, and Bhatia’s outfit demonstrated how this can be incorporated stylishly rather than just functionally. The light green specifically complemented the sage and court greens seen in several women’s outfits at the tournament, creating an unexpected color story across multiple players that unified the tournament’s overall aesthetic.

Wong Hongkit: Gradient Bold Statements

Wong Hongkit took a