NIcholas Ming En Pak
Nicholas Ming En Pak is one of Singapore’s most promising junior tennis players and he has a strong parental backing to help him achieve his full potential.
The 13-year-old youngster is the top seed at the ongoing ITF Asia Under-14 Development Championships at the Morodok Tennis Complex.
His dad Derrick, quit his job as an IT professional recently to travel and guide Nicholas to strive in the sport internationally.
“This is his first tournament he is travelling with me,” said Nicholas. Derrick was quick to add that he hoped to travel with his son for at least the next two years.
Keeping up to his top billing here, Nicholas blanked Sanaxay Chansomphou of Laos 6-0, 6-0 to earn a place in the quarter-finals. Partnering Leon Ho Wei Xi, as the top seeds in the doubles, they were equally dominant in the 6-1, 6-2 defeat of the Bangladeshi pairing of Rafi Al-Md Jobair Islam to book a semi-final berth.
Nicholas, who hopes to play Collegiate tennis in the near future, said that he while he wanted to get to the finals, he was wary that this was his first tournament after recovering from an elbow surgery.
In July 2025, Nicholas faced a major setback when he underwent elbow surgery, forcing him to take a seven-month break from competition.
After an intensive rehabilitation period, he returned to training in January 2026.
Despite the challenges, he has shown great resilience and determination, and his early performance here shows he can only get better.
The tall youngster achieved a career-high ranking of No. 4 on the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) U14 Junior Tour in April 2025, the first Singaporean to reach the milestone.
“I tried many different sports like badminton and swimming but it was tennis that I liked and my parents were supportive,” said Nicholas, who began playing tennis at the age of five.
He quickly developed a strong passion for the sport. His dedication and competitive spirit were evident from an early age, as he steadily progressed through local and international tournaments.
“I have won plenty of local tournaments but played in only one ITF J30 event. Hope to play more at the higher level,” said the lad, whose favourite player is Italian Jannik Sinner.
His breakthrough in Singapore came at just nine years old, when he won the National U10 Singles Championship. At age 10, he captured the National U12 Singles Championship and went on to win the U12 title twice more in the same year, establishing himself as one of the country’s top junior players.
In 2024, at age 12, Nicholas made his mark on the regional stage by winning both the ATF Under 14 singles and doubles titles in Perak, Malaysia.
He continued his impressive run in January 2025 by claiming both Singles and Doubles titles at the ITF Asia Under 14 Development Championships in Sri Lanka.
And he will be banking to repeat the feat here in Phnom Penh.
His outstanding performance last year earned him the tournament’s top ranking and a place in the prestigious ITF Grand Slam Player Development Program (GSPDP).
While many may cite individual achievements as the career highlight, Nicholas picks his contribution at the WJT Boys Asia/Oceania Final-Qualifying in Malaysia last April as his best moment of his budding career.
“We were close to be relegated and I managed to win both the singles and doubles against Uzbekistan to keep us in,” he said proudly.
He also hopes to start playing more doubles with his younger brother Dylan, who is 11-years-old now.
“I have played once with him and the plan is to start playing as a pair, once he is ready,” added Nicholas.
Meanwhile, Cambodia’s sole surviving player at the ITF Asia Under-14 Development Championships Aleksander Mikheichev failed to make it to the quarter-finals. Pakistani Muhammad Muaz defeated the third seeded Aleksander 7-5, 6-1.
He was the only seeded player in the boy singles failing to advance as all the other top eight seeds are safely through.
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
Boy’s Singles: Muhammad Muaz (Pak) bt Aleksander Mikheichev (Cam) 7-5, 6-1; Vu Tuan Phong (Vie) bt Yousuf Zaain Salaam (Mdv) 6-2, 6-1; Muhammad Ibraheem Gill (Pak) bt Rafi Al (Ban) 6-3, 6-0; Le Phu Gia (Vie) bt Tenzin Dudu (Bhu) 6-0, 6-0; Alexi Aldemita (Phi) bt Mohamed Alsson Saamee (Mdv) 6-1, 6-0; Leon Ho Wei Xi (Sgp) bt Chanthavong Phoupha (Lao) 6-0, 6-1; Marcus Lorenzo Go (Phi) bt Pelthop Tshering (Bhu) 6-0, 6-0; Nicholas Ming En Pak (Sgp) bt Sanaxay Chansomphou (Lao) 6-0, 6-0
Girl’s Singles: Khadija Khalil (Pak) bt Goh Wei Rou (Bru) 6-1, 6-1; Hannah Tay (Sgp) bt Jannat Howlader (Ban) 6-3, 6-3; Asiata Enkhzaya Adama (Mgl) bt Ella Paglalunan (Phi) 6-2, 6-1; Nguyen Linh Nhi (Vie) bt Mastora Afrin (Ban) 6-1, 6-0; Wang Zixi (Sgp) bt Sumeru Yangchen (Bhu) 6-0, 6-0; To Binh Nhieh (Vie) bt Khuslen Munkhbayar (Mgl) 6-1, 6-0; Kanza Ismail Hameed (Mdv) bt Ofelia Soares (Tls) 6-1, 6-0; Maristella Torrecampo (Phi) bt Eesha Rabbi (Pak) 6-1, 6-0
QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
Boy’s Doubles: Alexi Aldemita-Marcus Lorezo Go bt Sanaxay Chansomphou-Phoupha Chantavong (Lao) 6-2, 6-2; Pelthop Tshering-Tenzin Dudu (Bhu) bt Martins da Silva Jovanio-Xavier Brito de Carvalho (Tls) 7-6 (2), 6-4; Vu Thuan Phong-Le Phu Gia (Vie) bt Muhammad Muaz-Muhammad Ibraheem Gill (Pak) 6-0, 6-1; Leon Ho Wei Xi-Nicholas Ming En Pak (Sgp) bt Rafi Al-Md Jobair Islam (Ban) 6-1, 6-2
Girl’s Doubles: Wang Zixi-Hannah Tay (Sgp) bt Khuslen Munkhbayar-Asiata Enkhzaya Adama (Mgl) 6-3, 6-4; Ella Paglalunan-Maristella Torrecampo (Phi) bt Eesha Rabbi-Khadija Khalil (Pak) 6-2, 6-1; Nguyen Linh Nhi-To Binh Nhieh (Vie) bt Kanza Ismail Hameed-Isra Aara Ibrahim Shafeeu (Mdv) 6-1, 6-1; Mastora Afrin-Jannat Howlader (Mdv) bt Sumeru Yangchen-Yithro Yitshog Yidhenma (Bhu) 6-0, 6-1
