China loses dominance at Table Tennis World Cup

Hugo Calderano receives the Table Tennis World Cup at the Galaxy Arena, Macau, China, on April 20, 2025. Photo by ITTF

Brazilian star Hugo Calderano made history in Macau as he became the first player from the Americas to win the men's singles title at the Table Tennis World Cup, ending China's domination at the tournament.

The 28-year-old defeated world number one Lin Shidong of China 4-1 in the final on Sunday, ending China's four-year reign in the tournament. After dropping the first set 6-11, Calderano rallied to win the next four sets 11-7, 11-9, 11-4 and 11-5.

As Lin's final shot hit the net, Calderano collapsed to the floor in celebration. Members of the Brazilian team rushed to embrace him in an emotional moment that marked the biggest title of his career and his first major world championship.

The result marks a major shift in the sport, as it is the first time since 2017 that a non-Chinese player has claimed the title. The last to do so was Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov, who beat compatriot Timo Boll in the 2017 final.

Calderano's path to the title was nothing short of extraordinary. He defeated all three of the world's current top-ranked players en route to victory. In the quarterfinals, he beat world number three Tomokazu Harimoto 4-1. In the semifinals, he pulled off a dramatic comeback against world number two Wang Chuqin, rallying from 1-3 down to win 4-3.

Earlier in the tournament, Calderano also defeated Hiroto Shinozuka in the round of 16, and overcame Yukiya Uda and Eugene Wang in the group stage.

Calderano, who has been ranked inside the world's top 10 in men's singles since November 2018, was the fifth ahead of the World Cup. With this victory, he is expected to climb to third.

In the women's singles final, China retained dominance. World number one Sun Yingsha defeated compatriot Kuai Man in straight sets, winning 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 and 11-6. This marks Sun's second consecutive title.

Of the 26 women's singles World Cups held, China has now won 25 of them.

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