Thanh Vo Remembered

The PPA Tour held a moment of silence on Championship Sunday at the Austin Open on March 19th for Senior Pro and pickleball lover, Thanh Vo.

Vo passed away Thursday after playing a singles match in the Senior Pro division. On Sunday, PPA Tour CEO Connor Pardoe dedicated the day to Vo. Thanh’s wife and local EMTs were there with him at the end.

“We’re grateful he was part of the tour,” Pardoe said.

His daughter, Emily, said Vo was dedicated to the sport and was also a soccer and tennis player, but gave those sports up in order to play more pickleball. His goal was to travel across the country playing in tournaments.

“Vo is survived by his wife Tien Tran, his son John Vo and daughter Emily. They will remember him as a loving husband, father, and passionate athlete,” said Pardoe in a statement prepared by Emily.

Some of the pro players, including Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters, wore commemorative ribbons in Sunday in memory of Vo. Photos of Thanh and his family played on the LED screens on-site in the morning. The PPA Tour also announced a gofundme for Vo and posted the QR code so fans and players in attendance at the Austin Open could donate.

Contributions can still be made to Vo’s family to help with funeral and transportation costs as the Vo family had to make the journey back to their home in Nashville together. The target donation number started at $2,000, was upped to $10,000, and has since climbed to over $15,000, thanks to the overwhelming response from the pickleball community and those who knew Vo.

Emily also shared that when Vo had arrived at the tournament site earlier in the week, he turned to his wife and said,

“One day, I hope to make it to the main arena.”

By remembering Vo with photos, words, and silence on Championship Court, the PPA Tour hopes that, in some small way, Vo’s wish was fulfilled.

Vo had played in seven tournaments previously, but the Austin Showdown was Vo’s first PPA tournament.

“The only thing Thanh loved more than pickleball was his family,” Emily said. “The colors [of the commemorative ribbons] you are wearing today represent the school colors of his daughter and son — purple for the University of Washington and orange for the University of Tennessee — because he loved his children above all and was the proudest father and husband.”

Emily also said her father was a big fan of Ben Johns, the Tennessee Titans (from his home state), and the East Carolina Pirates (from his alma mater)

“He found the sport of pickleball and fell in love with it,” Pardoe said. “It was something he did every day.”

The Championship Sunday dedication to Thanh Vo and the matches that followed can be found here.