Tennis 

Trịnh Nhật Anh of the Military team is a player to show his abilities at the VTF Juniors Tour 1 – AP Sports Cup  on June 1-8 in HCM City. Photo courtesy of VTF

HCM CITY — Nearly 500 young players are competing in the opening event of the Việt Nam Tennis Federation (VTF) Junior Tour 2026, as the country's most promising talents battle for honours and national recognition.

The VTF Junior Tour 1 – AP Sports Cup got under way on June 1 at the Bình Dương New City's Community Sports Centre in HCM City.

The tournament runs until June 8 and features competition in boys' and girls' singles, doubles and mixed doubles events across age groups from U8 to U18.

HCM City remains the strongest delegation, fielding the largest number of participants as it targets the top spot in the overall standings.

The Military, Hà Nội, Ninh Bình, Phú Thọ and Đà Nẵng have also sent leading young players in a bid to challenge HCM City's dominance.

Among the title contenders are Lê Phú Gia of HCM City and Vũ Tuấn Phong of Hà Nội in the boys' U14 category, Tô Bình Nhiên of Ninh Bình and Nguyễn Linh Nhi of HCM City in the girls' U14 division, and Đinh Tiến Dũng of AP Sports Club in the boys' U12 event. All have recorded notable results in recent international junior competitions.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, VTF General Secretary Nguyễn Hồng Sơn said: “Youth training is one of the key activities in VTF's plan to sustainably develop national tennis.

"The active participation of delegations nationwide shows that the work of discovering, training, and nurturing young talents is receiving increasing attention and systematic investment, contributing to improving the quality of the next generation of athletes for Vietnamese tennis.

"We appreciate HCM City's authority in accompanying us in hosting large events, offering high-quality facilities along with their great experience in organising professional events.

"We hope the VTF Junior Tour 1 will be a successful event and we will discover more promising athletes for the national teams."

Nguyễn Thị Yến Nhi, Miss Grand Việt Nam 2025, attended as a special guest and praised the young competitors.

“I see their positive energy and a fantastic sporting spirit. I hope they will compete to the best of their abilities, confidently pursue their passion, and spread a positive image of Vietnamese tennis,” said Nhi.

The tournament is jointly organised by the VTF, the HCM City Department of Culture and Sports and LUMINOUS Investment and Trade Company's AP Sports Club. Four more events in the Junior Tour series will be held between now and August.

Bùi Minh Nhựt, director of LUMINOUS Company, said: "We believe that sports do more than produce champions. They play a vital role in shaping the character, resilience, and aspirations of the younger generation.

"Our partnership with the national junior tennis system reflects AP Sports’ long-term commitment to fostering the sustainable and professional development of Vietnamese tennis.” — VNS