China’s Yufei Long is one of the face of Asia’s fast-rising pro scene. In July, she captured the first-ever PPA Tour Asia women’s singles title at the Panas Malaysia Open, saving two championship points and winning 3–11, 12–10, 11–5 over Nicola Schoeman.
Long now calls Nashville home and switches easily between Chinese, Cantonese, and English. She first made her name in Division I tennis, earning All-ACC honors at Boston College before competing for Vanderbilt. She graduated from Boston College (undergraduate) and Vanderbilt University (Master’s), then joined Vanderbilt’s Department of Biomedical Informatics. When pickleball took hold, she pressed pause on a PhD and committed to pickleball full time.
The payoff has been swift: she’s No. 1 in PPA Tour Asia women’s singles after her Malaysia win (1,000 points), and the current Top 5 Asia Women’s Singles player in DUPR as of July 2025.
Bio Snapshot
- Country: China (Shenzhen)
- Age: 26 (born January 21, 1999).
- Height: 168 cm
- Plays: Right-handed
- Base: Nashville, Tennessee
- Current Team: Sydney Smash
- Languages: Chinese, Cantonese, English
- Education & career: Biology degree from Boston College; Master of Public Health at Vanderbilt; previously research staff in Vanderbilt’s Department of Biomedical Informatics; deferred a PhD in Biomedical Informatics to pursue pickleball.
- Tennis roots: Division I player at Boston College (All-ACC) and Vanderbilt (grad year).
- DUPR Asia Women’s Singles Top 5 (As of July 2025)
Pickleball Achievements
- PPA Tour Asia — Panas Malaysia Open (Kuala Lumpur): Gold, Pro Women’s Singles; also reached the women’s doubles final and mixed doubles semifinal the same weekend.
- PPA Challenger — Baton Rouge (Apr 4–6): Gold, Pro Women’s Singles; Bronze, Women’s Doubles (with Ken Tam); Bronze, Mixed Doubles (with Marco Leung).
- PPA Tour — Select Medical Orange County Cup (June): with Jamie Wei, upset No. 4 seeds Jorja Johnson/Lacy Schneemann 12–10, 8–11, 11–5 and advanced to the quarterfinals.
The Trailblazer effect
Long is part of the inaugural UPA Asia Trailblazers Program, a three-month Mesa, Arizona training block designed to fast-track elite talent. That stint produced immediate results—first the Orange County Cup shocker, then the landmark title in Malaysia.
“I knew the score, I thought, ‘OK, maybe I will lose it, but let’s just try my best and fight until the end.’” —Yufei Long, on saving two championship points to win Malaysia.
Long’s surge gives China a legitimate threat on the pro scene and spotlights UPA Asia’s development pipeline. Her academic pedigree and multilingual background make her a compelling ambassador as the sport races across the region.
All eyes shift to PPA Tour Asia: Hong Kong Open, where Long enters as No. 1 seed chasing back-to-back singles titles. If the Malaysia finish is any indication, expect fearless first-strike singles and plenty of late-point grit.
