Wang Chuqin dominated the world number three and reigning World Cup champion, Hugo Calderano, in the final on the evening of 14/9 in Macau. The Chinese representative won all four games 11-9, 11-7, 11-9, and 11-4.

Wang Chuqin at the WTT Champions table tennis tournament in Macau, 9/2025. Photo: SCMP

Wang Chuqin at the WTT Champions table tennis tournament in Macau, 9/2025. Photo: SCMP

In the semifinals, Wang defeated Jang Woo-jin of South Korea 4-0, while Calderano eliminated Anders Lind by the same score. The final was anticipated to be a close contest, with both players in top form. However, Wang's consistency and ability to capitalize on opportunities secured him a decisive victory.

Their head-to-head record now stands at 5-2 in Wang's favor. At the World Cup, also in Macau in 4/2025, Calderano defeated Wang 4-3 in the semifinals before going on to win the title. Wang later avenged that loss with a 4-1 victory at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, claiming his first men's singles world title.

"Today's victory is very important," Wang said after the match. "I was fully focused and gave it my all. I want to prove to everyone that Chinese table tennis is still number one."

The WTT Champions series is considered the equivalent of the Masters series in tennis, second in prestige only to the Grand Slams and Tour Finals. Macau hosted the fourth Champions event of the year, following Chongqing, Incheon, and Yokohama. Two more events remain: Montpellier (France) in October and Frankfurt (Germany) in November.

With this win in Macau, Wang will surpass his compatriot Lin Shidong to return to the world number one ranking this week. Lin, who was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Lind, drops to second place, while Calderano remains third.

Wang first reached the top spot in 7/2023, overtaking Fan Zhendong. Lin ascended to the number one ranking in 2/2025 and held it until last weekend. Wang is widely considered the stronger player, and his lower ranking was primarily due to participating in fewer tournaments.

In the women's singles, Sun Yingsha further solidified China's dominance in Macau by defeating compatriot Wang Manyu 4-3 in the final to defend her title. After the match, Sun said she would "treat the whole team to a celebratory meal."

The 25-year-old Wang, standing at 1.82 m, is a left-handed player renowned for his powerful forehand attack. He is currently the most followed active male table tennis player in China, boasting nearly 10 million followers on Weibo.

Xuan Binh