Table tennis is one of the few sports where one country has set the pace for decades, and 2026 followed the pattern with a twist. China won both team world titles again, but they were pushed hard, and Japan stood across the table from them in both finals. This page covers what happened in London, how team events work, and what comes next.
World Team Championships 2026, London
The ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals were played at OVO Arena Wembley in London. China beat Japan in both finals on Sunday, 10 May 2026. It was China's seventh straight sweep of the men's and women's team titles.
Women's final: China came from 2-1 down. Japan and China have met in every women's gold medal match at this event since 2014, and this was China's sixth final win over Japan in a row. Sun Yingsha beat Harimoto 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 to make it 2-2, and Wang Manyu then beat Hayata Hina 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 in the decider. China had also beaten Japan 3-0 in the women's team final at Paris 2024.
Men's final: China won 3-0 to take a 12th consecutive men's world team title and lift the Swaythling Cup for a record 24th time, according to the ITTF.
- Liang Jingkun beat Harimoto Tomokazu 8-11, 4-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-8. Harimoto led by two games and held a match point in the fourth, and led 8-3 in the fifth before Liang won eight points in a row.
- Wang Chuqin beat Matsushima Sora 8-11, 12-10, 11-2, 11-9.
- Lin Shidong sealed it by beating Togami Shunsuke 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9.
The ITTF noted that China looked vulnerable early: they lost group matches to Korea and Sweden, which is rare for them. Coach Wang Hao is credited with steadying the team. The tactical choices in the final also stood out. Liang was moved up the order because of his record against Harimoto, and Lin was put third to avoid facing Harimoto. Japan reached the men's final for the first time since 2016. China's men have won the event twice as many times as Hungary, whose 12 titles are the next highest.
How team table tennis works
- Each tie is the best of five matches, so the first team to win three wins. That is why the men's final could end 3-0 after three matches.
- The nations pick their playing order, and the order can be a decision in itself, as Liang and Lin showed.
- The men's winners lift the Swaythling Cup.
The Olympic record
China's men won the Olympic team gold at Paris 2024 for the fifth consecutive Games, with Wang Chuqin in the line-up with Ma Long and Fan Zhendong. China's women also won the Olympic team gold at Paris 2024, beating Japan 3-0, and the team that includes Sun Yingsha, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, won it again in London.
Coming up: WTT Finals Hong Kong
The season-ending WTT Finals will be played in Hong Kong from 9 to 13 December 2026, at Kai Tak Arena in Kai Tak Sports Park. The prize money in the WTT calendar is listed at USD 1,300,000. The qualification rankings were published in a Chinese-language report and had Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu leading the women's singles, but we have not confirmed the full field from an official English source, so check World Table Tennis before planning around any particular player.
Follow it live
There is no live table tennis card on this site, since the free feed we use covers four sports only. Verified dates go on the Schedule page as text.
Sources
Facts are from Olympics.com, the ITTF, the WTT 2026 calendar and Discover Hong Kong. Facts last checked 17 October 2026.
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