As ITTF prepares to celebrate its centenary in 2026, 2025 delivered a season of breakthrough achievements and memorable moments across the ITTF table tennis calendar.
2025 will be remembered as a year when barriers were broken, new champions emerged, and the foundations were laid for ITTF’s historic centenary celebrations in 2026. From Macao, China to Doha, from Cluj-Napoca to Chengdu, the world’s finest players delivered unforgettable performances that showcased table tennis at its absolute best.
ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao 2025
Hugo Calderano created history at the Galaxy Arena, becoming the first Brazilian and Pan American player to win the ITTF Men’s World Cup with a sensational 4-1 comeback victory over then world number one Lin Shidong of China after producing the performance of a lifetime.
Calderano’s path to glory was nothing short of extraordinary. After a heartbreaking fourth-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the 28-year-old refused to give in, reinventing his game and delivering when it mattered most. His heroic semifinal comeback from 1-3 down against world number two Wang Chuqin stands as one of the tournament’s most remarkable performances, with the Brazilian sprawling on the ground in jubilation after etching his name into table tennis history.
The victory marked a watershed moment for the sport, breaking Chinese dominance of the men’s competition and signalling a new era of global competitiveness. Calderano became the first non-Chinese player since Dimitrij Ovtcharov in 2017 to win a major men’s singles tournament, and the first Pan American player since Canada’s Wenguan Johnny Huang in 1993 to secure a men’s singles medal at the World Cup. His triumph firmly put Brazil and Pan America on the map as one of the sport’s rising powers, inspiring a new generation across the continent.
In the women’s singles final, world number one Sun Yingsha retained her title with a commanding 4-0 victory over compatriot Kuai Man, showcasing the clinical precision and tactical mastery that would define her remarkable 2025 campaign. The defending champion’s dominance in Macao, China set the stage for what would become an unforgettable year, securing her second consecutive World Cup crown.
ITTF World Para Circuit 2025
March marked a game-changing moment for Para table tennis as the ITTF’s revamped three-tier circuit structure launched in Lignano, Italy. Following a Paris 2024 Paralympic Games that revolutionised Para sport with benchmarks for gender equality and accessibility innovation, the new Future, Challenger, and Elite tier system was designed to push the sport further across the world. The inaugural Future event featured 197 players from five continents, with the venue celebrating a special milestone as it hosted Para table tennis competition for the 20th time. Italian Paralympic champions Giada Rossi (WS2) and Matteo Parenzan (MS6) headlined the competition, returning to the table on home soil for the first time since their golden performances in Paris six months earlier.
The ITTF World Para Elite Yvelines 2025 brought the Elite tier to a spectacular conclusion in late October, delivering five days of exceptional competition in Voisins-le-Bretonneux. The tournament served as a poignant tribute to British Para Table Tennis Performance Director Gorazd Vecko MBE, who passed away just days before the event began. A 16-strong British contingent honoured their fallen leader with outstanding performances, securing seven singles medals. Throughout 2025, the new three-tier structure proved its worth across multiple events worldwide, with the circuit concluding through a final Challenger event in Giza, Egypt, in December, demonstrating the global reach and ambition of Para table tennis as the sport continues to expand its footprint across all continents.
ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025
The ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Doha provided nine unforgettable days of world-class action that left behind a legacy of historic achievements and breakthrough performances. China’s Wang Chuqin claimed his maiden World Championship Singles title with a commanding 4-1 victory over Brazil’s Hugo Calderano.
Calderano’s achievement in reaching the final was itself historic, as he became the first player from South America to contest a World Championships Singles final. Sweden’s Truls Moregard secured bronze after an intense quarterfinal battle against Japan’s Shunsuke Togami, claiming his second World Championships medal following his silver in 2021.
Defending champion Sun Yingsha produced one of the tournament’s most memorable performances, successfully retaining her Women’s Singles crown in an epic seven-game, nearly 90-minute final against compatriot Wang Manyu that will be remembered as one of the most thrilling World Championship finals. The pulsating encounter featured extraordinary momentum swings, with Sun demonstrating remarkable mental fortitude to overcome multiple match points against her before sealing victory in the decider. Combined with her World Cup victory in Macao, Sun’s 2025 campaign solidified her status as the current pre-eminent force in women’s table tennis.
Historic breakthroughs came from across the globe. Japan ended their 64-year wait for Men’s Doubles glory as Shunsuke Togami and Hiroto Shinozuka claimed the Iran Cup with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Kao Cheng-Jui and Lin Yun-Ju, marking the end of Japan’s drought dating back to 1961. France made their own piece of history with both their Men’s Doubles pairs securing medals for the first time since 1997, as Felix and Alexis Lebrun alongside Esteban Dorr and Florian Bourrassaud earned bronze. Romania’s Bernadette Szocs and Austria’s Sofia Polcanova became the first all-European pair to reach a Women’s Doubles final since 1969, creating their own slice of history despite falling to China’s Wang Manyu and Kuai Man in the final.
ITTF World Youth Championships Cluj-Napoca 2025
The ITTF World Youth Championships reached a spectacular conclusion at the BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca, with Germany’s Koharu Itagaki producing a stunning performance to claim U15 Girls’ Singles gold. The 13-year-old German showed remarkable composure and resilience throughout the championship, defeating China’s Zhu Qihui 4-2 in a dramatic final.
Itagaki’s triumph continued Germany’s recent success at the World Youth Championships, following Annett Kaufmann’s historic U19 Girls’ Singles victory in Helsingborg 2024, and underscored the strength of German youth table tennis alongside compatriot Mia Griesel’s U19 Girls’ Doubles title with Wales’ Anna Hursey.
Japan celebrated a historic moment as Ryuusei Kawakami emerged victorious from an all-Japanese U19 Boys’ Singles final, defeating compatriot Kazuki Yoshiyama 4-2 in one of the best matches of the championships. China’s Qin Yuxuan secured the U19 Girls’ Singles title with a commanding victory over teammate Zong Geman, whilst Yu Haiyang captured the U15 Boys’ Singles crown.
Thailand provided one of the tournament’s biggest upsets as Thitaphat Preechayan and Kulapassr Vijitviriyagul defeated China’s Yu Haiyang and Zhu Qihui 3-2 to claim the U15 Mixed Doubles gold, delivering a moment of celebration for Thai table tennis.
ITTF Mixed Team World Cup Chengdu 2025
China capped a dominant year by claiming their third consecutive ITTF Mixed Team World Cup title in Chengdu, overwhelming Japan 8-1 in a final that displayed the depth and excellence of Chinese table tennis. The victory demonstrated China’s mastery of the format that will make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Despite the defeat, Japan’s silver medal capped a strong tournament run that highlighted the strength of their young team after missing the podium in 2024. Germany claimed a historic bronze medal with a thrilling 8-7 victory over Korea Republic, becoming the first-ever European team to reach the podium at an ITTF Mixed Team World Cup. The achievement marked a significant milestone for European table tennis and highlighted the format’s growing competitive depth.
The eight-day event delivered standout stories from across the globe with teams from all five continents competing with determination and skill, highlighting the increasing depth and diversity of table tennis. The ITTF Mixed Team World Cup closed the final event of the 2025 ITTF calendar, setting new standards for the sport.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As 2025 draws to a close, anticipation builds for what promises to be the most significant year in ITTF history. 2026 will mark a centenary celebration like no other, commemorating 100 years since the ITTF’s founding in 1926.
The landmark year will see a full calendar of major ITTF events across all table tennis disciplines. The World Championships will return to London, where it all began in 1926, whilst the World Cups, the World Youth Championships, World Para Championships, World Masters Championships, and the Mixed Team World Cup will all contribute to a year-long celebration of the sport’s rich heritage and bright future. Additionally, table tennis will feature at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, marking the first IOC event to be held in Africa.
From elite competition to grassroots participation, from Para table tennis to veterans’ events, from youth development to Olympic competition, 2026 will showcase the remarkable diversity and global reach that table tennis has achieved over its first century. The achievements of 2025 provided the perfect platform for the sport’s centenary celebrations, setting the stage for a year that will honour the past whilst embracing the opportunities that lie ahead.
The countdown to 2026 has begun, and if 2025 is any indication, the sport’s second century promises to be just as extraordinary as its first.
Source: ITTF