The surprises keep rolling in on Day 3 of the ITTF World Championships Finals Doha 2025, with Croatia’s Lea RAKOVAC pulling off one of the most resounding wins of the tournament so far. Facing Japan’s Miu HIRANO, a former World Championships bronze medallist, RAKOVAC delivered a commanding 4-2 victory (11-8, 7-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7) in the Round of 64.
Ranked World No.137 and over a hundred places below her opponent, RAKOVAC entered the match as a clear underdog. But from the very first point, she seized control with confident and calculated play. The Croatian not only maintained pressure throughout but dismantled Hirano’s rhythm with her aggressive pace and tactical awareness.
“I prepared my tactics well, and I had a good warm-up. I just wanted to play my game,” said RAKOVAC after the match. “And as usual, as with every match, I always have respect against everybody. It doesn’t matter which player I play against. But today, my tactic was good. I was better and faster. Table tennis is a very complex sport. So, my expectations are always the same, which is every single day, especially when I come to the tournament, I prepare myself earlier, and in this kind of championships, like World Championships, I just try to enjoy the match and fight hard.”
The result marks an early and unexpected departure for HIRANO, who claimed bronze in 2017 and was widely expected to advance deep into the draw once again.
Lea RAKOVAC was once considered one of Croatia’s brightest table tennis prospects. Back in 2017, however, she made the surprising decision to step away from the sport at the height of her early career—a move that stunned many in the national table tennis community, especially given the trajectory she was on.
As a junior, she had won the prestigious Top 10 tournament featuring Europe’s best players, finishing undefeated with nine wins. She was also a European silver medallist in singles and a European champion in mixed doubles alongside Tomislav PUCAR. In addition she played at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics. Everything pointed to a bright future—until she suddenly said, “Enough.”
She stepped away completely, staying active with other sports like badminton, squash, and padel, but table tennis was off the table—literally—for nearly four years.
Her return came unexpectedly, just as her exit had. During the COVID-19 pandemic, RAKOVAC found herself with more time and space to reflect. In 2021, she signed with Croatian club Aquaestil and began a determined comeback. In 2023 RAKOVAC has also returned to the national team.
