The championships delivered drama from the very first serve to the final point, with players from across the globe writing new chapters in the sport’s illustrious history. At the heart of the narrative was Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, who created history by becoming the first player from South America to reach a World Championships Singles final, securing a landmark silver medal that marks a watershed moment for Pan American table tennis.
New Champions and Defending Glory
China’s Wang Chuqin claimed his maiden World Championship Singles title after years of near misses, defeating Calderano in a masterful display that confirmed his status as one of the sport’s elite performers. The victory marked the emergence of a new world champion and ended his long quest for singles glory on the biggest stage.
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 final against compatriot Wang Manyu. The nearly 90-minute classic will be remembered as one of the greatest World Championship finals ever contested, showcasing the extraordinary depth and quality of women’s table tennis.
Historic Breakthroughs Across the Globe
Japan celebrated ending their 64-year wait for Men’s Doubles glory as Shunsuke Togami and Hiroto Shinozuka claimed the Iran Cup with a thrilling victory over Chinese Taipei’s Kao Cheng-Jui and Lin Yun-Ju. The triumph marked the resurgence of Japanese doubles play and provided one of the tournament’s most emotional moments.
France made their own piece of history with both their Men’s Doubles pairs securing medals – a first for the nation since 1997. Bot duos, Felix and Alexis Lebrun, Esteban Dorr and Florian Bourrassaud earned bronze, marking a golden era for French doubles tennis.
Europe made its mark through the remarkable partnership of Romania’s Bernadette Szocs and Austria’s Sofia Polcanova, who became the first all-European pair to reach a Women’s Doubles final since 1969. Their journey to the final captured hearts worldwide and demonstrated that excellence in table tennis knows no geographical boundaries.
The significance of the championships was further highlighted by the presence of International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who attended the final few days and presented medals to the Men’s Doubles and Women’s Singles champions. Bach’s presence underscored the important place table tennis holds within the Olympic Movement and celebrated the sport’s continued growth and global appeal.
ITTF Development Success Stories
The championships beautifully showcased the success of ITTF development programmes, with several graduates of the Hopes Programme and With Future in Mind (WFIM) scholarship recipients shining on the sport’s biggest stage. Sweden’s Truls Moregard, a Hopes Programme alumnus, took home the bronze medal this year, while Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi, an ITTF Hopes alumna, achieved her best-ever World Championship campaign, flying the Brazilian flag high and inspiring young players across South America.
Germany’s Annett Kaufmann, a WFIM scholarship holder, showcased ITTF Development’s impact reaching the latter stages of the competition, while Iran’s teenage sensation Benyamin Faraji showed that the ITTF’s investment in youth development continues to bear fruit on the global stage.
From Oceania, Australia’s ITTF Hopes alumnus Aditya Sareen, partnering with compatriot Hwan Bae, created headlines by defeating the established German combination of Patrick Franziska and Dimitrij Ovtcharov in the early rounds on one of the first few upsets of the event.
Unforgettable Individual Journeys
The championships were filled with inspiring individual stories that showcased the global reach of table tennis excellence across all continents. From Europe, Croatia’s Lea Rakovac and Italy’s Gaia Monfardini became household names through their fearless performances, proving that with determination and skill, players from any nation can compete with the world’s best.
England’s Tom Jarvis captured the imagination of fans with his remarkable run to the Round of 16, while Patrick Franziska’s incredible comeback from 0-3 down provided one of the tournament’s most dramatic moments. These performances exemplified the fighting spirit that makes the World Championships so special.
From Africa, Egypt’s Mohamed Elbeiali and Youssef Abdelaziz created their own slice of history by becoming the first African pair to reach the Men’s Doubles quarterfinals since 1951, inspiring a new generation of players across the continent and proving that table tennis excellence continues to spread globally.
Asia’s depth was evident throughout, with breakthrough performances from athletes representing nations across the continent, while the Americas celebrated not just through Calderano’s historic achievement but through strong showings from players representing the length and breadth of both North and South America.
From the opening matches to the final celebrations, Doha 2025 delivered everything that makes the World Championships the pinnacle of table tennis competition. The tournament featured stunning upsets, emotional comebacks, tactical masterclasses, and moments of pure sporting magic that reminded everyone why table tennis continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Host Nation Makes Its Mark
Host Qatar provided one of the tournament’s most emotional moments when Mohammed Abdulwahhab secured a historic straight-games victory against New Zealand’s Alfred Dela Pena on the opening day. Facing a player ranked almost 200 places above him, Abdulwahhab dominated from the outset, riding on the energy of a supportive home crowd to advance to the next round and create a moment of pure joy for Qatari table tennis that will be remembered long after the championships concluded.
Setting the Stage for London 2026
As Sunday’s session concluded, the official handover ceremony saw Doha pass the baton to London, with the prestigious Egypt Cup symbolically transferred to mark the beginning of preparations for the next World Championships Finals. The ceremony was a fitting end to an extraordinary week and the beginning of anticipation for what promises to be a very special event.
London 2026 will mark a centenary celebration like no other, as the World Championships return to where it all began. When the inaugural World Table Tennis Championships took place in London in 1926, few could have imagined how the sport would grow to become the global phenomenon it is today. That same year also saw the founding of the ITTF, making London 2026 a special centenary celebration.
The return to London represents not just a homecoming, but a celebration of a century of table tennis evolution, growth, and the pursuit of excellence that has brought us to this magnificent point in the sport’s history.
As the lights dimmed on the Lusail Sports Arena and Qatar University for the final time, the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2025 left behind memories that will last a lifetime. From historic firsts to emotional farewells, from breakthrough performances to defending champions, Doha 2025 reminded the world why the World Championships remain the ultimate prize in table tennis.
The extraordinary championships have set the stage perfectly for London 2026’s historic centenary celebrations, ensuring that the momentum and passion generated over these nine remarkable days will carry forward as the table tennis world prepares to celebrate a century of sporting excellence in the city where it all began.
The countdown to London 2026 starts now.
