The third edition of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup concluded in Chengdu today, with China claiming the GUOLIANG-SÖRLING Trophy in a tournament that showed the growing depth and diversity of table tennis ahead of the format’s Olympic debut at LA28. Germany claimed the bronze medal with an 8-7 victory over Korea Republic China defeated Japan 8-1 in the final to secure their third consecutive Mixed Team World Cup title, demonstrating their dominance in the format that will make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The semifinals saw China overcome Korea Republic 8-3 in the morning session, whilst Japan defeated Germany 8-3 to set up the final. Germany claimed the bronze medal with an 8-7 victory over Korea Republic in a thrilling encounter, capping off an impressive tournament that saw them reach the podium. Germany have now become the first-ever European team to reach the podium at a ITTF Mixed Team World Cup. Germany entered the match with confidence, having already defeated Korea Republic by the same scoreline in Stage 2. This time, however, they made a crucial tactical adjustment: Qiu DANG was assigned to both the Mixed Doubles and Men’s Doubles, while Patrick FRANZISKA took over the Men’s Singles, a strategic choice given Dang’s previous 0-3 loss to Woojin JANG. Qiu DANG and Annett KAUFMANN surged ahead with two dominant games against Nayeong KIM and Ganghyeon PARK. Attention then shifted to the Women’s Singles, a repeat matchup from Stage 2: Sabine WINTER vs. Eunhye LEE. WINTER’S clever use of anti-spin controlled the opening game 11-5, repeatedly forcing LEE into hesitation over the spin content. Though Lee struggled early in the second, she suddenly found her timing and reversed the momentum to win 11-9. The decider was tense: LEE led 10-9 but missed a sitter; WINTER responded with two unforced errors, handing Lee a dramatic 12-10 victory and a 2-1 match win. Germany slipped further behind in the Men’s Singles, where FRANZISKA endured a poor start against Woojin JANG, losing 5-11. He stabilised to take the second 11-7, but Jang tightened his countering play to claim the decider 11-7 and extend Korea Republic’s advantage. The tide shifted again in the Men’s Doubles, with DANG and Benedikt DUDA stepping up under pressure. After dropping the first game, they crushed the second 11-3 against Junsung Oh and PARK. The final game became a nerve-shredding duel, PARK producing late fireworks once more, but Dang and Duda edged it 11-9 with two spectacular rallies to seal the 2-1 win and pull Germany level. With the match locked at 6-6, everything hinged on the Women’s Doubles: Sabine WINTER and Nina MITTELHAM vs. Eunhye LEE and Hyojoo CHOI. Germany snatched the opening game, Korea responded instantly, and the tie stood at 7-7 overall heading into the final showdown. The last game became a showcase of German precision. Capitalising on an early error from Lee, WINTER and MITTELHAM shifted into a flawless rhythm, racing to an 11-1 victory.

The Stage 2 phase concluded in Chengdu with China, Japan, Germany and Korea Republic securing their places in the semifinals. The final round delivered high drama across the tables, with Korea ending Croatia’s breakthrough run, China finishing unbeaten, and Germany edging a thriller to confirm their spot among the last four. Germany clinched a Stage 3 berth with an 8–5 win over Hong Kong, China. Dang QIU and Annette KAUFMANN opened with a solid Mixed Doubles victory, followed by a composed win from WINTER over Doo Hoi Kem. Hong Kong rallied through Chun Ting WONG, who stunned Benedikt DUDA in Men’s Singles, but Germany immediately restored control when QIU and DUDA defeated the World No. 1 pair in Men’s Doubles. WINTER and KAUFMANN closed out the match in Women’s Doubles to complete a confident German performance. Croatia’s remarkable campaign came to a close despite another spirited display. Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIĆ squeezed out a point in Mixed Doubles, while Lea RAKOVAC and Tomislav PUCAR claimed strong singles wins to bring Croatia level at 5–5. From there, Korea took full control: KIM anf CHOI swept the Women’s Doubles, before OH and PARK secured the decisive Men’s Doubles point, sealing Korea’s progression to the semifinals. Already assured of qualification, China rotated their squad but still proved too strong. World No. 1 pair Man KUAI and Shidong LIN opened with a straight-games win, while Yidi WANG recovered from a slow start to edge Linda BERGSTRÖM. Sweden hit back through a dominant display from Anton KALLBERG, but China closed the match efficiently in the Women’s Doubles, with Man KUAI and Manyu WANG sealing their unbeaten Stage 2 campaign. France produced the upset of the tournament, overturning a 1–5 deficit to defeat second seeds Japan 8–7. Japan dominated early, with Mima ITO and Hiroto SHINOZUKA sweeping the Mixed Doubles and Satsuki ODO edging Prithika PAVADE, putting France in deep trouble. Then came the turnaround. Felix LEBRUN launched the comeback with a spectacular 3–0 win over Tomokazu HARIMOTO, before joining brother Alexis to sweep the Men’s Doubles and push France ahead 7–5. Japan forced a decider through Women’s Doubles, but Jia Nan YUAN and PAVADE held firm in the final game, completing a stunning French victory.

Croatia produced another outstanding performance, overcoming 10th seeds Hong Kong, China to extend their remarkable campaign in the Stage 2 of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025 8-6. Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIĆ opened with a clutch Mixed Doubles win, before Lea RAKOVAC added an early singles point in the 1-2 defeat against Chengzhu ZHU. With the score tight at 3–3, Tomislav PUCAR delivered the match of the tie, sweeping Siu Hang LAM 3–0 to give Croatia control. Hong Kong, China fought back in Women’s Doubles, but Croatia held firm. BAN and Frane KOJIĆ sealed the victory in the final match, securing a historic 8–5 result. Germany carried the momentum from their strong display against China into an impressive 8–7 victory over Korea Republic. Patrick FRANZISKA and Annett KAUFMANN gave Germany an ideal start in Mixed Doubles, followed by a solid win from Sabine WINTER, who recovered after losing the opening game. Korea replied through Woojin JANG, who beat Dang QIU 3–0 to tighten the score. But QIU struck back in Men’s Doubles alongside Benedikt DUDA, taking a tense decider. With the tie poised at 6–6, WINTER and Nina MITTELHAM stepped up in the Women’s Doubles, overturning a narrow start to clinch the tie and secure Germany’s hard-fought victory. France closed the morning session in style, defeating Sweden 8–3. Simon GAUZY and Prithika PAVADE overturned a slow start in Mixed Doubles, before Charlotte LUTZ continued her impressive form with a controlled win over Linda BERGSTRÖM. Alexis LEBRUN added another point against Mattias FALCK, and the LEBRUN brothers later teamed up to dominate the Men’s Doubles, sealing an important win as Stage 2 approaches its conclusion.

French President Emmanuel MACRON visited the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu, where he met both Team France and Team China during his state visit to China. He was welcomed by ITTF President Petra SÖRLING and CTTA President Liqin, who introduced him to leading Chinese stars Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu WANG, and Shidong LIN, as well as coaches Lin MA, Hao WANG and Zhan XIAO. MACRON also greeted the French squad, including Felix and Alexis LEBRUN, Prithika PAVADE, Simon GAUZY and Jia Nan YUAN. President MACRON even stepped to the table himself, receiving a racket from ITTF President Petra SÖRLING and enjoying brief friendly rallies with players. Delegations exchanged commemorative gifts, including a special ITTF Centenary racket and national team jerseys. The ITTF expressed its honour at being part of the French President’s official visit, noting table tennis’s long tradition of fostering friendship and international cooperation from historic ping-pong diplomacy to its modern global reach. The ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025 runs in Chengdu from 30 November to 7 December, ahead of the discipline’s Olympic debut at LA28.

It was a mixed and demanding day for European teams in the Stage 2 of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025, but Croatia delivered the standout performance, defeating Sweden 8–1 . Croatia started strongly through Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIĆ, whose composed and well-balanced mixed doubles display earned the opening point against Kristian KARLSSON and Christina KALLBERG. Momentum continued with an exceptional win from Lea RAKOVAC, who overcame Linda BERGSTRÖM 3–0 by smartly adjusting her tempo and exploiting the chopper’s variations. The decisive blow came from Tomislav PUCAR, who dominated Anton KALLBERG in straight games. Mixing his trademark backhand power with timely forehand attacks, PUCAR ensured Croatia completed a confident and controlled victory—one of their strongest performances of the tournament. France fell 8–7 to Hong Kong, China, despite strong singles wins from Charlotte LUTZ and Simon GAUZY. Germany lost to China 4-8, despite the Patrick FRANZISKA’s superb win over World No. 1 Wang Chuqin.

France led the European charge on Day 5 at the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025 in Chengdu, bouncing back in style with a convincing 8–3 victory over Croatia. Making his first appearance of the event, Simon GAUZY teamed up with Prithika PAVADE to edge Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIĆ 2–1 in a tense mixed doubles opener, sealing the decider 16–14. Charlotte LUTZ then impressed on her debut, overpowering Lea RAKOVAC 3–0 in the women’s singles, before Alexis LEBRUN recovered from a slow start and a sharp Tomislav PUCAR to take the men’s singles 2–1. LUTZ and PAVADE later closed the tie, holding their nerve in doubles to secure France’s 8–3 win and a strong response after the heartbreak against Korea Republic the night before. Sweden were edged 8–6 by Hong Kong, China in one of the most dramatic ties of the day. Early success from Kristian KARLSSON and Christina KÄLLBERG in the mixed doubles and a late surge in the women’s doubles weren’t enough to overturn missed chances in singles and doubles, leaving Sweden with plenty to regret in Stage 2. Germany, ran into a red-hot Japan, falling 8–3 despite a strong men’s singles display from Dang QIU, who again found a way past Tomokazu HARIMOTO. Japan’s sharp, disciplined team performance keeps them unbeaten and leaves Germany with work to do in the race for knockout positions. At the top of the table, China underlined their status as favourites with a commanding 8–0 win over Korea Republic, ending the Koreans’ unbeaten run and reinforcing their dominance in Chengdu. With France back on track and both Sweden and Germany still fighting to position themselves for the business end of Stage 2, European hopes remain very much alive as the road to LA28 continues to take shape in Sichuan.

France produced one of the most dramatic performances of the tournament so far, pushing unbeaten Korea Republic to the edge before narrowly losing 8–7 in the Stage 2 of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025. In Chengdu The French side refreshed its lineup for Stage 2, with Félix LEBRUN and Prithika PAVADE starting the tie in mixed doubles, while Alexis LEBRUN and Jia Nan YUAN handled singles duties. Alexis delivered a world-class display in the men’s singles, stunning Woojin JANG 2–1 and later teaming up with Félix to win the men’s doubles in straight games — a result that brought France level at 6–6 and reignited their hopes. However, in the decisive women’s doubles, PAVADE and Jia Nan came agonizingly close to a huge upset. They won the opening game and fought back from 6–10 in the decider, but Nayeong KIM and Hyojoo CHOI held their nerve to seal victory for Korea and preserve their perfect record. Croatia faced an unstoppable Chinese team, falling 8–0, but not without moments of brilliance. In mixed doubles, Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIĆ were outmatched by world champions Chuqin WANG and Yingsha SUN, while Man KUAI dominated the women’s singles against Ivana MALOBABIĆ. The European highlight came from Tomislav PUCAR, who pushed Lin Shidong to a spectacular 14–12 opening game. The second game produced one of the rallies of the day, featuring PUCAR’S stunning edge-ball winner after a sequence of acrobatic lobs. Despite the Croatian’s inspired play, LIN closed the match 2–0. Germany earned an important 8–5 victory over Sweden. The tie opened with a comeback from Annett KAUFMANN, Patrick FRANZISKA, who overturned a tough start to beat Christina KÄLLBERG, Kristian KARLSSON 2–1. Sweden immediately struck back, as Linda BERGSTRÖM edged Sabine WINTER in a dramatic 2–1 duel. Germany then grabbed control through Dang QIU, who produced a superb performance to defeat Anton KÄLLBERG 3–0 in the men’s singles, giving Germany crucial momentum. Sweden reduced the gap in the men’s doubles, with KÄLLBERG/Karlsson narrowly topping DUDA/QIU 2–1, but Germany quickly responded: WINTER/MITTELHAM claimed a tight first game (12–10) against KÄLLBERG/BERGSTRÖM, securing the final point needed for an overall 8–5 German win.