London, United Kingdom Apr 28 – May 10 2026
Source: https://www.ittf.com/
The 2026 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London is a landmark centenary edition, marking 100 years since the very first World Championships were held in the city in 1926.
Here are the results for the Finals and Quarter-finals of the 2026 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships, which took place at the OVO Arena Wembley in London .
🏆 Championship Finals (May 10)
Men’s Final: China def. Japan (3-0)
China secured its 12th consecutive and 24th overall Swaythling Cup title . The scores were:
- Liang Jingkun (CHN) def. Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN): 3-2 (8-11, 4-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-8)
- Wang Chuqin (CHN) def. Sora Matsushima (JPN): 3-1 (8-11, 12-10, 11-2, 11-9)
- Lin Shidong (CHN) def. Shunsuke Togami (JPN): 3-1 (11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9)
Women’s Final: China def. Japan (3-2)
In a dramatic rematch, China claimed its 7th consecutive and 24th overall Corbillon Cup title . The scores were:
- Miwa Harimoto (JPN) def. Wang Manyu (CHN): 3-2 (11-4, 11-9, 6-11, 4-11, 11-4)
- Sun Yingsha (CHN) def. Hina Hayata (JPN): 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-8)
- Honoka Hashimoto (JPN) def. Kuai Man (CHN): 3-1 (11-6, 5-11, 11-6, 11-8)
- Sun Yingsha (CHN) def. Miwa Harimoto (JPN): 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-6)
- Wang Manyu (CHN) def. Hina Hayata (JPN): 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-5)
⚔️ Quarter-final Results (May 8)
Men’s Quarter-finals
- China def. South Korea (3-0): Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, and Liang Jingkun each won their matches to secure the win .
- Japan advanced to the Semis (defeated Chinese Taipei 3-0) .
- France secured a bronze medal by advancing to the Semis .
- Brazil also advanced to the Semi-finals .
Women’s Quarter-finals
- China advanced to the Semi-finals .
- Romania def. France (3-1): Guaranteed at least a bronze medal and advanced to face China in the Semis .
- Japan advanced to the Semi-finals .
The semifinals of the 2026 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in London are set, with confirmed matchups in both the men’s and women’s draws. Here is the schedule and how the teams advanced.
🏆 Men’s Team Semifinals (Saturday, May 9)
🏆 Women’s Team Semifinals (Saturday, May 9)
The semifinals will be played on Saturday, May 9, at the OVO Arena Wembley, with the finals scheduled for Sunday, May 10 .
As of Monday, May 4, 2026, the tournament is currently in full swing, having transitioned from the group stages into the high-stakes knockout rounds.
🏓 Event Overview
- Dates: April 28 – May 10, 2026
- Venues: * Copper Box Arena: Hosted the Stage 1B group matches (completed).
- OVO Arena Wembley: Currently hosting Stage 1A and all Stage 2 Knockout Rounds through to the Finals.
- Format: 64 Men’s and 64 Women’s teams competing for the Swaythling and Corbillon Cups.
🏆 Current Tournament Status (May 4, 2026)
The competition has reached the Round of 32. The preliminary “Stage 1” matches have concluded with some massive upsets that have reshaped the bracket.
- The China Shock: In a historic turn of events over the weekend, the defending champion Chinese Men’s team suffered back-to-back defeats in Stage 1A against South Korea (3–1) and Sweden (3–2). This is the first time in 26 years China has looked this vulnerable in a team event.
- England’s Progress: Both the England Men’s and Women’s teams are in action today (May 4) in the Round of 32. The Women face Ukraine, while the Men are scheduled to take on Moldova.
- Broadcasting: In the UK, you can catch live coverage across the BBC and talkSPORT, with global streaming available via World Table Tennis (WTT).
🗓️ Upcoming Key Dates
| Date | Round | Venue |
| May 4–5 | Round of 32 | OVO Arena Wembley |
| May 6 | Round of 16 | OVO Arena Wembley |
| May 7–8 | Quarter-Finals | OVO Arena Wembley |
| May 9 | Semi-Finals | OVO Arena Wembley |
| May 10 | Finals Day | OVO Arena Wembley |
Note for Spectators: If you are heading to Wembley this week, be aware of Transport for London (TfL) closures on the Metropolitan line affecting travel to the arena today. Additionally, road closures are expected on Finals Day (May 10) due to the National League Promotion Final taking place at the neighboring Wembley Stadium.
The 2026 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in London (celebrating the centenary of the ITTF) is currently in its final stages. As of May 6, 2026, the tournament has transitioned from the group stages to the high-stakes knockout rounds at the OVO Arena Wembley.
The biggest story of the tournament so far is the historic struggle of the Chinese Men’s team, who suffered back-to-back group stage defeats for the first time in decades.
Men’s Team Highlights
- China’s Shock Defeats: In Group 1, China suffered a stunning 1-3 loss to South Korea and a 2-3 thriller against Sweden. Sweden’s Elias Ranefur and Anton Källberg were the heroes in their upset, which allowed Sweden to top the group.
- The French Surge: Led by the Lebrun brothers, France topped Group 2 after a massive 3-2 comeback against Japan and a 3-1 win over Germany.
- Host Nation Progress: The England Men’s team successfully advanced to the Round of 16 after a clinical victory over Moldova. They are scheduled to face Brazil on the evening of May 6th.
Women’s Team Highlights
- China’s Dominance: Unlike their male counterparts, the Chinese Women’s team has been flawless, sweeping South Korea 3-0 to secure the top seed.
- Japan on Top: Japan secured the top spot in Group 2 after defeating Germany 3-1, with Miwa Harimoto winning both of her matches.
- England Women: Unfortunately, the host nation’s women’s team was eliminated in the Round of 32 by Ukraine, despite a strong individual performance by Tin-Tin Ho.
Current Schedule (Knockout Stage)
| Date | Phase | Venue |
| May 4–5 | Round of 32 & Round of 16 | OVO Arena Wembley |
| May 6–8 | Quarter-Finals & Semi-Finals | OVO Arena Wembley |
| May 9 | Women’s Team Final | OVO Arena Wembley |
| May 10 | Men’s Team Final | OVO Arena Wembley |
With the Quarter-Finals beginning today, all eyes are on whether the Swedish and French men can maintain their momentum to break the long-standing Chinese era of dominance.
It is a bit of a classic “underdog” story: table tennis started as a rainy-day distraction for upper-class Victorians and evolved into a high-speed, Olympic-caliber sport defined by extreme precision and physics.
Here is a breakdown of how the game moved from the dinner table to the world stage.
🏛️ The “Parlor” Origins (Late 1800s)
Table tennis began in Victorian England during the 1880s as an improvised version of lawn tennis.
- The Equipment: Instead of high-tech carbon fiber, early players used cigar box lids for paddles, champagne corks (trimmed into spheres) for balls, and stacks of books for nets.
- The Names: Before “Table Tennis” became the official term, it was known by several onomatopoeic names like Gossima, Whiff-Whaff, and most famously, Ping-Pong (which was actually a trademarked brand name by J. Jaques & Son Ltd).
🚀 The Celluloid Revolution (1900s)
The game changed forever in 1901 when James W. Gibb discovered hollow celluloid balls while on a trip to the US. These were lighter and bounced much more predictably than rubber or cork. Around the same time, E.C. Goode invented the modern racket by fixing a sheet of stippled rubber to a wooden blade, allowing players to put spin on the ball for the first time.
🌍 Global Growth and the ITTF (1920s – 1950s)
The sport became more organized after World War I.
- 1926: The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was founded in Berlin.
- First World Championships: Held right here in London in 1926.
- European Dominance: Initially, the sport was dominated by Central Europeans, specifically Hungary, who won the first several world titles.
🌀 The “Sponge” Era and Asian Dominance (1950s – 1980s)
In the 1950s, the introduction of sandwich rubber (sponge layers beneath the rubber) radically increased the speed and spin of the game.
- Japan’s Rise: Japanese players were the first to master this technology, dominating the 1950s.
- China Enters: By the 1960s, China emerged as the global powerhouse, a title they have largely maintained to this day.
- Ping-Pong Diplomacy: In 1971, the sport played a massive role in global politics when the US table tennis team was invited to China, helping thaw Cold War relations between the two nations.
🏅 Modern Era (1988 – Present)
- Olympic Status: Table tennis officially became an Olympic sport at the 1988 Seoul Games.
- Rule Changes: To make the sport more television-friendly, the ITTF has made several big changes in recent decades:
- 2000: The ball size increased from 38mm to 40mm to slow the game down for viewers.
- 2001: The scoring system changed from 21-point sets to 11-point sets to create more “clutch” moments.
- 2014: The switch from celluloid to plastic “poly” balls for safety and durability.
🏆 The Centenary Milestone
As we celebrate the 2026 World Team Championships back in London, the sport has come full circle. From 1926 to 2026, it has grown from a British hobby into a global phenomenon with over 40 million competitive players worldwide.
