The countdown is over. The stage is set. Starting tomorrow, the world’s top table tennis players will battle it out at the Galaxy Arena in Macao as the ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup 2025 gets underway. A total of 96 athletes have one shared mission: to lift the prestigious World Cup trophy.
In front of a packed audience—including ITTF officials, members of the media, and a global livestream reaching over 4.6 million viewers—the official draw ceremony brought an extra layer of excitement to the build-up. Based on seeding, players drew their own groups, adding a dramatic and transparent touch to the tournament’s launch.
Spotlight on the Women’s Draw
All eyes will be on reigning champion and current World No.1 Sun Yingsha (China), who anchors Group 1 and faces Mo Zhang (Canada) and Chien Tung-Chuan (Chinese Taipei). The Chinese team’s dominance is evident across the board, with Wang Manyu, Wang Yidi, Chen Xingtong, and Kuai Man also taking top positions in Groups 2 to 5.
One group that stands out is Group 4, where Chen Xingtong meets Sabine Winter (Germany), who has recently shaken things up with her use of anti-spin rubber on the backhand—causing major upsets across Europe.
Group 9 promises an exciting showdown between Bernadette Szocs (Romania) and Sreeja Akula (India), two familiar faces from India’s Ultimate Table Tennis League. Meanwhile, Lily Zhang (USA) finds herself in Group 14 with a difficult opener against Korean defensive specialist Suh Hyo Won, a player against whom she has struggled in previous encounters.
Men’s Field Packed with Firepower
In the Men’s draw, World No.1 and Singapore Smash 2025 winner Lin Shidong (China) headlines Group 1, where he’ll go up against Hwan Bae (Australia) and Milosz Redzimski (Poland). His compatriot, World No.2 Wang Chuqin, enters as the top seed in Group 2, ready to take on Tomislav Pucar (Croatia) and Aditya Sareen (Australia), fresh off his semifinal run in 2024 and a recent WTT title in Chongqing.
Group 7 is shaping up as a must-watch, featuring a European clash between Patrick Franziska (Germany), Simon Gauzy (France), and Alvaro Robles (Spain).
“It’s a big moment for me—my first World Cup. It’s a tough group with players I’ve known for a long time. I’ve teamed up with Simon and faced Patrick many times before. I’ll give it everything I’ve got,” said Robles.
Over in Group 16, it’s an all-African duel as Quadri Aruna (Nigeria) meets Abdel-Kader Salifou (Benin), with Anton Källberg (Sweden) completing the trio.
High Stakes from the Start
With just one player advancing from each round-robin group, every match carries knockout-level intensity. For most of the field, this is uncharted territory—with only Sun Yingsha and Dimitrij Ovtcharov having previously lifted the trophy. The rest are hungry to leave their mark and write a new chapter in World Cup history.
Source: ITTF World