Following her impressive run to the semifinals of the Singapore Smash, Germany’s Sabine WINTER has climbed to No. 11 in the latest world ranking, marking another milestone in her remarkable rise on the international stage.
In an interview released by the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB), WINTER reflected on her semifinal encounter with world No. 2 WANG Manyu, the lessons learned from defeat, and her busy schedule across Asia before returning to domestic competition and the TT-Finals in Erfurt.
Although the scoreboard against WANG Manyu appeared clear, WINTER emphasised that the match itself was far more competitive.
“I can’t say the match against WANG Manyu hurts,” WINTER explained. “It was a fantastic tournament for me. Against the world No. 2, I had nothing to lose. Of course, I would have liked it to be even closer, but overall it’s encouraging to see that I can compete with someone like her. She celebrated her points and showed her fighting spirit, which proves she took me very seriously. When the Chinese take you seriously, that builds confidence.”
Rather than dwelling on defeat, the 33-year-old views such encounters as stepping stones.
“I actually learn more from very close matches and especially from losses. When my limits are exposed, I know exactly what I need to improve. Matches like this are extremely valuable when I return to training.”
Instead of returning to Germany after Singapore, WINTER travelled directly to Sanya, on the southern tip of China’s Hainan Island. There she is competing in a team event alongside Sweden’s Anton KÄLLBERG, Germany’s Yuan WAN and Austria’s former European champion Sofia POLCANOVA, facing Chinese teams composed of three men and one woman.
“It was tight with travel, I landed just three hours before the first match,” she admitted. “But I had already planned to stay in Asia. The constant long flights and jet lag are exhausting. This way I can manage my energy better.”
WINTER’s recent achievements include victory at the Europe Top 16 Cup, becoming the first European woman to reach a Champions final in Montpellier, and now a Grand Smash semifinal. Naturally, her status on the tour is evolving.
“I do feel that my status has changed a bit, but not dramatically,” she said. “I haven’t been playing at this level for that long yet. Others have done so for years. But there is more attention now, and I’m asked to do more for social media.”
With success also come expectations.
“When I play against someone ranked No. 30 now, people suddenly see me as the favourite. Before, a win against that level would have been a huge result for me. I try not to let external expectations influence me. Of course, confidence grows with good wins, but I focus on my own development and continuing to improve my game.”
After her Asian campaign, WINTER will return to Bundesliga action with Dachau in April before competing at the TT-Finals in Erfurt in June.
“Dachau is my home club. I’ve played there for many years, and it’s always special to enter that hall and see familiar faces. The German Championships have always meant a lot to me. I’m looking forward to them again and will try to finish as high as possible.”
With renewed confidence and the belief that she belongs among the world’s elite, Sabine WINTER’s 2026 season continues to gather momentum and the message is clear: the world’s best are now taking her very seriously.
