DATELINE: BEIJING, CHINA - DEC 31, 2025

CHINA DOMINATES International Table Tennis World Rankings with Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha at the Top

Beijing, China (Xinhua via Alayaran.com) - The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) released its latest world rankings on Tuesday, once again showcasing Chinese dominance in the sport. Top-ranked singles players include Chinese Wang Chuqin in men's singles and Sun Yingsha in women's singles.

In a mixed bag of performances from top Asian players, Japanese Tomokazu Harimoto found himself at number three, while French Felix Lebrun rose to fourth after his surprise run through the tournament. Chinese Lin Shidong kept Chinese pride alive by holding onto second spot behind Wang Chuqin.

Notably, China dominated both men's and women's singles events with the top four spots taken by Chinese players in the women's rankings, while the only non-Chinese player to secure a place within the top ten in men's singles was German Qiu Dang. In another notable development in women's table tennis rankings, Japanese Miwa Harimoto fell short of holding onto her number six ranking due to Sun Yingsha's significant rise up the ranks.

A series of announcements were released from the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) on Tuesday following changes in player eligibility. According to a statement issued by CTTA, notable names Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng have officially withdrawn from world competition.

However, neither did CTTA announce any news regarding a possible temporary ban or penalties related to non-compliance with the current table tennis rules and regulations, as widely speculated. "The association will continue to follow the development of three athletes and provide them with full support," read a statement issued by Liu Guoliang, the President of Chinese Table Tennis Association.

"The association has been actively engaging with the ITTF and World Table Tennis (WTT) to take part in reasonable adjustments for future competitions."

"I would like to see adjustments made so veteran players can be awarded participation exemptions while a 'prize pool' is also established to honor top young athletes," Liu Guoliang mentioned when speaking at a statement.