Quang Duong is Done with UPA Following Another Brazen Breach of Contract

In one of the most bizarre sequence of events for pro pickleball, news broke on Saturday morning that Quang Duong is done with the UPA following what the UPA cited as a “multiple and repeated violations of the exclusivity terms” of his agreement.

The UPA announced the news on their PPA Tour and MLP social media channels following another unapproved absence from MLP’s midseason tournament happening right now.

It’s a weird story and one that is even more odd when you consider the person breaching the contract is not really the one who signed the contract, in all likelihood. Quang’s Dad, Duc Duong, has become a prominent figure in the niche pickleball world. The unique drilling that Quang shares via his social media, his constant presence at Quang’s matches and the endless work that you can see Quang doing at events outside of his matches is unlike anyone else in pro pickleball.

Unfortunately, as somewhat revered as Duc Duong has become, he may also represent the classic overbearing parent that is all too common, particularly in the modern world of youth sports.

Quang was a player who very much benefitted from the Tour Wars, at least initially. When the PPA Tour quickly shifted to sign and pay big bucks to anyone with a semblance of a high level tennis background, Duong signed a $300,000 annual deal before he had any results to speak of.

Since that time, Quang quickly rose in the sport. First, with some big time singles results and then demonstrated much improved doubles prowess as the Texas Ranchers picked him up after a great showing as a substitute at the Washington D.C. MLP event last year.

Quang saw a meteoric rise in his stock as a player, but that rise has plateaued in 2025. He is not seeing the same level of results in singles and his drive and crash doubles game has stagnated as opponents have gotten used to his “modern” style of play.

Quang is in a very different position than most players. Being from Vietnam, he has a massive following in his home country. With pickleball growing exponentially, it is a place where it sounds like he can make a lot of money. Probably a lot more than his 6-figure UPA deal.

Quang was suspended and fined by the UPA back in May for playing in a non-sanctioned UPA tournament without approval. It was widely assumed that Quang’s trip to Vietnam that led to the $50,000 fine still resulted in a net positive on the financial end of things.

It was not the first time Quang has publicly had breach of contract issues either. At the start of the year, Selkirk had to issue Quang a cease and desist letter for failure to adhere to his contract that did not expire until April 2025. Quang notoriously changed paddles from Selkirk to Proton during the middle of the match despite being under contract with Selkirk.

And these are just the public breaches we have been made aware of. Based on the statement issued by the UPA, this has been a case of ongoing breaches and misrepresentations from the Duong camp.

Whether it is blatantly playing with a paddle of a different company during a broadcasted match or posting about unapproved trips to Vietnam on social media, it’s a truly odd situation to see someone so brazenly breach their signed agreements. According to Zane Navratil, Duong was said to be going to Vietnam for a nose surgery, and it is so odd to use that excuse and then turn around posting about all the pickleball related aspects of the trip on Instagram.

Where things get tricky is that we have a father who clearly believes that his son can make more money outside of the UPA and it is better to have his contract terminated rather than ride it out until the deal expires at the end of 2026. We know Quang is probably not the one making these decisions and, while we have no doubt Duc believes he is making decisions in the best interests of his son, it is fair to wonder whether this is best for Quang.

There is little doubt in the short term that Quang is going to make more money outside of the exclusivity of the UPA. The shelf life of a professional athlete can be fleeting and you can’t necessarily blame Duc for wanting to cash in while the iron is hot. However, is not being on the premier tour in the sport going to limit Quang’s exposure, value and long-term earning potential? You have to wonder if this is a big picture misstep from Duc.

You also have to wonder if he is going about it in the right way. Are other brands and sponsors, including those in Vietnam, going to be keen to do business with Quang knowing that a contract is worth about as much to his Dad as a cardboard box? This just doesn’t seem like a good way to conduct business over the long run.

Although, maybe it won’t matter at all because that Asia pickleball money will set the family up for life, and having integrity associated with the brand of Quang is low on the list of priorities.

We had heard, even towards the end of last year, that Quang/Duc was becoming well known for dropping partners last minute or without even telling them at all. It has become quite clear that this is the way that Duc Duong conducts business, for better or for worse.

From the UPA side of things, they had to do something about this. If not, it would have demonstrated to their other signed players that the exclusivity of the contracts are not worth the paper they are printed on. Quang Duong may not need the UPA to earn a good living but most of the other players do, and this termination indirectly serves as a message to the rest of their signed players that breaches of contract are no joke.

Ultimately, the most puzzling aspect of this story is whether we have an overbearing parent who is dictating the life of his son in a manner is contrary to what his son may want. What are Quang’s thoughts? Does he have any say in how this is all being handled? As someone who has had his Dad handle his business his whole life, does Quang even have the independent critical thinking capacity to know what he wants to do? The only people who can answer those questions are members of the Duong family.

Money is not the be all and end all of life, but it sure appears as though getting that bag may be the only consideration from the Duong family at this point in time.

It is one of the more strange set of circumstances we have come across in pro pickleball. Whether this leads to Quang’s spotlight in the pro landscape fading is completely unknown. No matter what happens, we’ll always be left to wonder whether all of this was worth it.

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