Olympic stars to headline WTT champions tournament

Table tennis singles gold medallist Chen Meng

Some of the world’s top table tennis players, including Olympic gold medalists, will compete at the WTT Champions Macao tournament from Sept. 9-15. The event will take place at the Macao East Asian Games Dome in Cotai.

The women’s singles draw features a star-studded lineup led by world number one Sun Yingsha.

The 2022 and 2023 WTT Champions Macao winner will face stiff competition from Chen Meng, the Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist, as well as Wang Manyu, the 2023 WTT Women’s Singles champion. Other top contenders include Wang Yidi and Hina Hayata.

The men’s singles event is headlined by world No. 1 Wang Chuqin, who won the Macau title in 2022 and 2023. He will be challenged by Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist Fan Zhendong, along with Hugo Calderano, Liang Jingkun and Felix Lebrun.

A total prize pool of USD800,000 (MOP6.4 million) is up for grabs, with the champions earning USD35,000 (MOP 279,045) and 1,000 ranking points.

Established in 2019 by the International Table Tennis Federation, the WTT Series aims to commercialize and elevate the sport.

“The WTT Champions Macao always delivers high-octane table tennis action, and this year’s event looks set to be one of the most competitive yet,” said ITTF President Thomas Weikert.

“With Olympic champions and world No. 1s all vying for the title, fans are in for a real treat.” Nadia Shaw