Lý Hoàng Nam won the SEA Games gold medal, making history for Vietnamese tennis.

Lý Hoàng Nam has consistently been the biggest hope for Vietnamese tennis on major stages.

December 6, 2019, marked a very memorable milestone for Vietnamese tennis when Lý Hoàng Nam - the symbol of the national tennis community made history by winning the prestigious SEA Games gold medal.

At the 30th SEA Games held in the Philippines, Lý Hoàng Nam excelled by winning the men's singles title after defeating his teammate Daniel Cao Nguyễn 2-0 (6-2; 6-4) in the final. This victory not only brought a valuable gold medal to the Vietnamese sports delegation but also made Hoàng Nam the first tennis player in Vietnam’s history to win gold in the singles event at the SEA Games—a feat that overcame long-standing regional barriers.

The all-Vietnamese final in the Philippines that year was thrilling as both players were the brightest stars of Vietnamese tennis. Despite facing a teammate with a higher ATP ranking, Lý Hoàng Nam remained calm, played sharply, and dominated his opponent in every rally. Winning both sets confirmed his superior class and top-level competitive spirit from the Tây Ninh player.

Lý Hoàng Nam’s historic gold medal is especially meaningful as it ended nearly half a century without gold in SEA Games singles tennis for Vietnam. Previously, Vietnamese representatives only earned silver or bronze medals but never reached the top spot in the region’s biggest sporting event. Hoàng Nam’s victory is regarded as a crucial milestone, inspiring strongly and helping elevate Vietnam’s status on the regional tennis map.

Not stopping there, at the next SEA Games three years later on home soil, Hoàng Nam became the first Vietnamese tennis player to successfully defend a SEA Games gold medal by defeating his close friend Trịnh Linh Giang. This achievement could have been extended to three consecutive titles if the 1997-born player had not unexpectedly fallen ill before the SEA Games 32 final in Cambodia in 2023, reluctantly watching Rifqi Fitriadi (Indonesia) take the crown.

It was unfortunate that this was the last time Vietnamese tennis fans saw Lý Hoàng Nam compete at this event. At the 33rd SEA Games in 2025 in Thailand, Hoàng Nam - now a professional pickleball athlete was not on the participant list, clearly weakening the national team’s strength, and we could not win any medals at this year’s games.

Hoàng Nam first competed at the SEA Games in 2017, and since then he has always brought medals to Vietnamese sports. We have yet to find a player of sufficient caliber to fill the gap left by the 2015 junior Wimbledon champion.