Vietnam Tennis Federation launches hybrid sport ‘ToTEN,’ combining tennis with pickleball

The sport was unveiled at the Hoang Thanh Trung tennis and pickleball courts in Ho Chi Minh City.

VTF describes ToTEN as a simplified version of tennis played on a smaller court similar in size to a pickleball court.

ToTEN uses mini tennis rackets and soft foam balls, while keeping the traditional tennis scoring system of 0-15-30-40.

Players are allowed only one serve, delivered at waist height, and rallies continue if the ball touches the net before landing inside the correct service box.

The federation said the format was designed to make matches faster, easier to access, and safer for players while preserving tennis techniques.

The sport also prohibits players from using their hands, feet or other body parts to return the ball, allowing only racket contact.

According to VTF, ToTEN balls are made from soft foam rubber with grooves and produce less bounce than tennis balls but more than plastic pickleball balls, while also reducing noise during play.

VTF President Nguyen Quoc Ky said the sport was created by Vietnamese developers by combining “the best features of pickleball and tennis.”

“ToTEN carries the DNA of tennis while remaining easy to play and accessible like pickleball,” Ky said.

“It is suitable for many people and reduces the risk of injuries.”

The launch event included exhibition sessions featuring several Vietnamese beauty pageant winners and runners-up invited to try the sport.

VTF said it plans to organize ToTEN tournaments about three months after the launch to help introduce the sport to a wider audience.