Vietnam tennis ace enters world top 300

According to the ATP ranking update Monday, Nam climbed 38 places to rank 290th, the highest in his career. This is the first time a Vietnamese tennis player has entered the world top 300.

Nam remains the number one player in Southeast Asia, followed by Thailand's Kasidit Samrej at 616th.

After finishing as runner-up at ATP Challenger Tour's Bangkok Open in Thailand last week, Nam got an additional 30 bonus points. He even ranked above Swiss tennis star Stan Wawrinka. The three-time Grand Slam champion is currently at 295th.

Nam started 2022 at 583rd and continuously set new milestones in his career. He finished second at the M15 tournaments in France and Thailand, then won three consecutive M15 titles at home in June and July. His impressive streak continued with the M15 title in Malaysia.

When Nam cracked the top 400, he began to register for tournaments at a higher level in the ATP Challenger Tour system. At Bangkok Open this month, he eliminated many strong players, including the number one seed Alastair Gray and former world number 49, Illya Marchenko, to reach the final.

The Vietnam number one is set to play another ATP Challenger Tour event in Thailand this week. He will face a tough challenge in the first round when facing the third seed Yasutaka Uchiyama, ranked 247th in the world.