The 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals are set to take place from May 20-28 in Durban, South Africa. The question on everyone’s mind is whether the Chinese players, who have dominated the sport and won singles world titles in every tournament since 2003, will continue to maintain their dominance. However, Sweden has represented them in the last two men’s singles finals and is in a position to wrest the throne from their Chinese opponents.
Around 600 athletes will compete in five events in Durban: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Of those events, all but one defending champion is from China. Christian Karlsson/Matthias Falk of Sweden are the reigning men’s doubles champions.
China’s top five men and women are all in the singles draw, making it difficult for anyone to crack the top spots. Among them are reigning Olympic singles champions Ma Long and Chen Meng, as well as current world No. 1s Huang Zhendong and Sun Yingsha. Defending women’s singles champion Wang Manu is also back, as are reigning doubles titleholders Sun/Wang (female) and Wang Qiqin/Sun (mixed).
Sweden is one of the traditional European powerhouses in the sport, and while both Falk (2019) and Truls Meregord (2021) have reached the men’s singles final in the last two championships, the final hurdle has proven difficult to overcome. World No. 7 Mere Gord is one of the strongest challengers to Chinese competitors, including Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yunju, and Germany’s Dang Chiu.
The women’s singles event has the world’s top five all hailing from China, making it simpler on paper. Japan has become the biggest threat to China’s hegemony, with world No. 7 Mima Ito and world No. 8 Hina Hayata being the best among the others.
The ITTF World Table Tennis Championships 2023 Finals schedule can be found below. The event will be televised worldwide by ITTF’s broadcast partners and will also be available on the World Table Tennis live stream.
Saturday 20 May – Session Start Times 10:00, 13:30, 18:30
Men’s Singles Round of 128
Women’s Singles Round of 128
Men’s Doubles Round of 64
Women’s Doubles Round of 64
Mixed Doubles Round of 64
Sunday 21 May – Session start times 10:00, 13:30, 18:30
Men’s Singles Round 128
Women’s Singles Round 128
Men’s Doubles Round 64
Women’s Doubles Round 64
Mixed Doubles Round 64
Monday 22nd May – Session start 11:00, 13:00 :30 , 18:30
Men’s Singles Round of 64
Women’s Singles Round of 64
Men’s Doubles Round of 32
Women’s Doubles Round of 32
Mixed Doubles Round of 32
Tuesday 23 May – Sessions start at 11:00, 13:30, 18:30 30
Men’s Singles Round
Women’s Singles Round of 64
Men’s Doubles Round of 16
Women’s Doubles Round of 16
Mixed Doubles Round of 16
Wednesday 24 May – Session Starts 11:00, 13:30, 18:30
Men’s Singles Round of 32
Women’s Singles Round of 32
Men’s Doubles Round 16
Women’s Doubles Round 16
Mixed Doubles Quarterfinals
Thursday 25 May – Sessions start at 11:00, 13:30, 18:30
Men’s Singles Round 16
Women’s Singles Round 16
Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals
Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals
Mixed Doubles Semifinals
Friday 26 May
13:00 Mixed Doubles Finals
14:00 Men’s Singles Quarterfinals, Women’s Singles Quarterfinals, Men’s Doubles Semifinals, Women’s Doubles Semifinals
18:30 Men’s Singles Quarterfinals Finals, Women’s Singles Quarterfinals Final
May 27 (Sat)
13:00 Women’s Singles Semifinal
14:30 Men’s Doubles Final
17:00 Men’s Singles Semifinal
18:30 Women’s Doubles Final
Sunday, May 28
13:00 Women’s Singles Final
14:00 Men’s Singles Final