With the 2025 ITTF World Individual Championships about to begin in Doha (17–25 May), the German table tennis team travels to Qatar in full force and with a clear sense of purpose. Just days before departure, concerns surrounded the fitness of rising star Annett KAUFMANN, who twisted her ankle during final preparations in Düsseldorf. Thankfully, a quick medical assessment revealed only a ligament strain with no structural damage, and after a successful fitness test, the reigning U19 World Champion received the all-clear to join the team.
This year’s Championships return to a familiar venue—Doha hosted the 2004 Team World Championships, where Germany claimed silver in the men’s event. Two decades later, the DTTB contingent once again hopes to shine, this time in singles, doubles, and mixed events across the Lusail Sports Arena and Qatar University Sports Complex.
Germany heads into the Championships with one of its strongest male lineups in recent history. World No. 8 Patrick FRANZISKA, European Champion Dang QIU (WR: 11), World Cup quarterfinalist Benedikt DUDA (WR: 13), Olympic bronze medalist Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (WR: 20), and Ricardo WALTHER (WR: 35) are tasked with carrying German hopes.
FRANZISKA, seeded in the top eight for the first time at a Worlds, opens his campaign against his former Saarbrücken teammate, Liao Cheng-Ting (TPE).
“We trained together for a year – I know what to expect,” said FRANZISKA, who, alongside OVTCHAROV, won bronze in men’s doubles at the 2023 Worlds in Durban.
DUDA will also face a familiar face—his former clubmate Alberto MIÑO (ECU)—in a potentially tricky first-round encounter. “I know I can beat anyone, but the margins at this level are razor-thin,” DUDA admitted.
QIU begins against Croatia’s Filip ZELJKO, while OVTCHAROV takes on Austria’s Daniel HABESOHN, with a possible rematch against Taiwan’s Lin Yun-Ju looming. WALTHER starts Sunday against Eugene WANG (CAN).
Despite the absence of injured Nina MITTELHAM, national coach Tamara BOROS believes in her five-player women’s squad: Sabine WINTER (WR: 45), Ying HAN (WR: 47), Xiaona SHAN (WR: 50), Yuan WAN (WR: 62), and Annett KAUFMANN (WR: 111).
KAUFMANN, whose opening match is against Hong Kong’s NG Wing Lam, faces a daunting path, with China’s world No. 3 Chen Xingtong potentially waiting in round two. “The draw is tough, but they also just use water to boil their noodles,” she joked.
HAN, returning from two Achilles tendon injuries, could meet 2019 World Champion Wang Manyu in round three. “Not my dream draw,” she admitted, “but if I get there, I’ll give everything.” WINTER, Germany’s current No. 1, begins against Egypt’s Mariam ALHODABY and may face Japan’s Satsuki ODO later. SHAN and WAN also face experienced international opponents in their openers.
The men’s duo of FRANZISKA/OVTCHAROV begin their bid against former World silver medallists IONESCU/ROBLEs (ROU/ESP), while DUDA/QIU face early challenges from India after an initial tie against Zambia.
In women’s doubles, WAN/WINTER may face Chinese contenders QIAN Tianyi and CHEN Xingtong as early as round two. KAUFMANN/SHAN begin against Canada.
Mixed doubles offers no easy path either: KAUFMANN and FRANZISKA face French pair Simon GAUZY and Prithika PAVADE, with a potential second-round clash against top seeds LIN Shidong and KUAI Man (CHN). DUDA/WAN open against reigning European champions MARIA XIAO and ALVARO ROBLES (ESP).
While the Chinese team remains the dominant force on paper, recent breakthroughs—such as Hugo CALDERANO’S stunning World Cup victory—prove that upsets are possible. With strong squads from Brazil, France, Japan, Korea, and Chinese Taipei in the mix, the 2025 World Championships promise a tightly contested affair.
Sport director Richard PRAUSE put it succinctly: “A medal is always a dream, but one that becomes real only if all the pieces fall into place. In Durban 2023, they did. Why not in Doha, too?”
Men:
- Patrick FRANZISKA (WR: 8)
- Dang QIU (WR: 11)
- Benedikt DUDA (WR: 13)
- Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (WR: 20)
- Ricardo WALTHER (WR: 35)
Women:
- Sabine WINTER (WR: 45)
- Ying HAN (WR: 47)
- Xiaona SHAN (WR: 50)
- Yuan WAN (WR: 62)
- Annett KAUFMANN (WR: 111)
Doubles:
- Men: DUDA/QIU, FRANZISKA/OVTCHAROV
- Women: KAUFMANN/SHAN, WINTER/WAN
- Mixed: KAUFMANN/FRANZISKA, DUDA/WAN
Staff:
- Richard PRAUSE (Sport Director)
- Jörg ROßKOPF, Lars HIELSCHER (Men’s coaches)
- Tamara BOROS, Zoltan BATORFI (Women’s coaches)
- Sascha NIMTZ (Video Analysis)
- Dr. Thomas GARN (Medical lead)
