The United Pickleball Association is suspending Quang Duong for one MLP event and one PPA event for violating the exclusivity section of his contract.

The 19-year-old is alleged to have participated in a non-PPA professional tournament while visiting his home country of Vietnam this past weekend. Most players under UPA contract—including Duong—are not allowed to participate in non-PPA tournaments without prior approval from the UPA.

Here are the full sanctions:

• Suspension from play in one PPA Tour tournament.
• Suspension from play in four matches at MLP Phoenix.
• Payment of a $50,000 fine.
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These sanctions have huge implications.

Duong’s MLP team, the Los Angeles Mad Drops, will play six matches at MLP Phoenix, which begins Thursday.

Now, Duong—who was taken seventh overall in the 2025 free agency draft—will have to miss over half of those matches. He will be replaced by Spencer Smith, the on-site alternate for the event.

He will also be forced to miss the Select Medical Orange County Cup in June, which is one of the bigger tournaments of the year with 1500 ranking points on the line.

Here's a statement from UPA on the matter, as first reported by The Dink:

• “MLP and PPA have invested very significantly in our player contracts, and they are written to ensure event exclusivity so that the league, the Tour, and our players can work together to grow the sport in mutually beneficial ways. When contract terms are violated, there have to be consequences. We look forward to having Quang participate in MLP and PPA events following his brief suspension, and trust that this issue will quickly be put behind all of us.”
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Duong posted on social media about participating in a charity event while he was in Vietnam.

Even if the event in question was more of a charity event than a tournament, Duong would have had to obtain prior approval from the UPA to take part. 

Either way, it looks like that didn't happen.