WTT Champions Macao 2025 - 9-14 Sep 2025

[Tony's Table Tennis]

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Hina Hayata is entered in the Players List so the entry deadline must have been before Honoka leapfrogged Hina in the rankings.

 

[Catenaccio]

Draws have been released

MS => https://www.worldtabletennis.com/eventInfo?subEvt=MSINGLES&selectedTab=Draws&eventId=3097

WS => https://www.worldtabletennis.com/eventInfo?subEvt=WSINGLES&selectedTab=Draws&eventId=3097

 

[zeio]

Hina Hayata is entered in the Players List so the entry deadline must have been before Honoka leapfrogged Hina in the rankings.

Entry deadline was changed from 5 to 6 weeks prior (8/5 to 7/29) this February. And Hayata's 700 pts from Paris 2024 didn't expire until 8/5. Sneaky Hayata.

7/29
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025_31_SEN_WS.html
8/5
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025_32_SEN_WS.html

https://wttwebcmsprod.blob.core.windows.net/technicaldocuments/WTT Series & Feeder Handbook 2025.pdf

2.4 Entry Deadline
...
a. WTT Grand Smash
• Singles Main Draw/Qualifying: Five (5) weeks prior the main event start.
...
• Doubles & Mixed doubles: Four (4) weeks prior the main event start.
...
c. WTT Champions
• Singles: Five (5) weeks prior the event start.
...
d. WTT Star Contender & WTT Contender
• Singles: Main Draw/Qualifying: Five (5) weeks prior the event start.
...
• Doubles & Mixed doubles: Main Draw/Qualifying: Four (4) weeks prior the Main Draw event start.
...
e. WTT Feeder Series
• Singles: Main Draw/Qualifying: Five (5) weeks prior the event start.
...
• Doubles & Mixed doubles: Main Draw/Qualifying: Four (4) weeks prior the Main Draw event start.

https://wttwebcmsprod.blob.core.windows.net/technicaldocuments/WTT_Series & Feeder_Handbook_2025_20250227.pdf

2.4 Entry Deadline
...
a. WTT Grand Smash
• Singles Main Draw/Qualifying: Six (6) weeks prior the main event start.
...
• Doubles & Mixed doubles: Five (5) weeks prior the main event start.
...
c. WTT Champions
• Singles: Six (6) weeks prior the event start.
...
d. WTT Star Contender & WTT Contender
• Singles: Main Draw/Qualifying: Five (5) weeks prior the event start.
...
• Doubles & Mixed doubles: Main Draw/Qualifying: Four (4) weeks prior the Main Draw event start.
...
e. WTT Feeder Series
• Singles: Main Draw/Qualifying: Five (5) weeks prior the event start.
...
• Doubles & Mixed doubles: Main Draw/Qualifying: Four (4) weeks prior the Main Draw event start.

 

[FIXPOINT]

WTT Champions Macao 2025 WS Draw

WTT Champions Macao 2025 MS Draw

 

[GAOdp]

WTT Champions Macao-2025 (WTT Champions) – is the fourth tournament of the WTT Champions Series in 2025, held in Macao, China. WTT Champions Macao 2025 is organized by the Chinese Table Tennis Association under the patronage of World Table Tennis from 9 to 14 September 2025. The prize money for the medalists is $800,000.

Tournament Qualification

The tournament will be held in two singles events, men's and women's, to which only the top 32 players by world ranking will be invited.
The entire tournament will be played on a single competition table (with a requirement for 8 practice tables).

National Limit
Singles:

• Each Member Association shall be allowed a maximum of four (4) players per event, excluding host wildcards and WTT nominations.

Wildcards

• WTT is entitled to one (1) WTT nomination per event;
• The Organizer is entitled to one (1) wildcard per event;
• Any unused wildcards/host country selections will be returned to direct entries.

Useful Links

Link to the tournament on the WTT website: WTT Champions Macao 2025 Presented by Galaxy Entertainment Group
Link to the tournament on the WTT YouTube channel: WTT Champions Macao 2025

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

No Honoka ? What a shame

 

[Vlad Celler]

No Honoka ? What a shame

Yes, it's unclear why... I think Zeio explained it...
It was announced in China at the end of October...

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Yes, it's unclear why... I think Zeio explained it...
It was announced in China at the end of October...

No offense to Anna Hursey as she's a fine player, but Honoka should definitely have been given the WTT Nomination. In reality, WTT should really just get rid of the NER limit for a *CHAMPIONS* event that originally promoted itself as the best 32 in the world.

 

[Bollwerk]

WTT should really just get rid of the NER limit for a *CHAMPIONS* event that originally promoted itself as the best 32 in the world.

Pretty much. If they don't want to get rid of it i would at least guarantee the top 16 world a spot and then consider NER for the rest.

 

[NextLevel]

No offense to Anna Hursey as she's a fine player, but Honoka should definitely have been given the WTT Nomination. In reality, WTT should really just get rid of the NER limit for a *CHAMPIONS* event that originally promoted itself as the best 32 in the world.

I thought since Ito was an Olympic gold medallist that Japan would get an extra spot. Or they got one and Hashimoto still didn't fit?

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

I thought since Ito was an Olympic gold medallist that Japan would get an extra spot. Or they got one and Hashimoto still didn't fit?

The Olympic gold card only applies to reigning Olympic gold medalists (so top Chinese). The tournament uses the ranking list 6 weeks before the start of the main event and at that time, Hina was ahead of Honoka.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

and the reigning gold medalist is to the player, not to the MA, So even if Ito qualifies, JNT can't use that spot for some other player.

 

[Catenaccio]

and the reigning gold medalist is to the player, not to the MA, So even if Ito qualifies, JNT can't use that spot for some other player.

The Olympic Champions Gold Cards apply to the respective players, but your conclusion is not correct imo because the Olympic Champions Gold Card is not counted towards the NER. See the regulations below. At the WTT Champions Macao, 6 female CNT are entered.

1. Sun Yingsha (Olympic Champions Gold Card)
2. Wang Manyu (Olympic Champions Gold Card)
3. Chen Xingtong
4. Kuai Man
5. Wang Yidi
6. Chen Yi

World Table Tennis

www.worldtabletennis.com

Since SYS and WMY are Olympic Champions Gold Cards, they don't count towards the maximum of 4 players NER. If Ito was an Olympic Champions Gold Card, Japan would be able to send 5 female players (Ito plus the 4 highest ranked Japanese players assuming those are in the top 27).

1.1.3 WTT Champions
a. Men’s / Women’s Singles:
Knock out of 32.
• Top 27 to 30 players (Automatic Entry) based on the ITTF TTWR for singles events at the entry deadline.
• Up to Three (3) Olympic Champions (Paris 2024) Gold Cards.
• One (1) Host Wildcard player.
• One (1) WTT Nomination player.
Any unused quota will go to the next eligible players based on the ITTF TTWR.

2.1 National Entry Restriction (NER)
The NER is the number of participating players / pairs per Member Association allowed to participate in a sub-event and is applied as follows:

c. WTT Champions
• Each Member Association shall be allowed a maximum of four (4) players per event excluding the Olympic Champions Gold Cards, Host Wildcard and the WTT Nomination.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

The Olympic Champions Gold Cards apply to the respective players, but your conclusion is not correct imo because the Olympic Champions Gold Card is not counted towards the NER. See the regulations below. At the WTT Champions Macao, 6 female CNT are entered.

1. Sun Yingsha (Olympic Champions Gold Card)
2. Wang Manyu (Olympic Champions Gold Card)
3. Chen Xingtong
4. Kuai Man
5. Wang Yidi
6. Chen Yi

World Table Tennis

www.worldtabletennis.com

Since SYS and WMY are Olympic Champions Gold Cards, they don't count towards the maximum of 4 players NER. If Ito was an Olympic Champions Gold Card, Japan would be able to send 5 female players (Ito plus the 4 highest ranked Japanese players assuming those are in the top 27).

I see where the misunderstanding comes from.

If Ito plus 4 other goes, that is normal.

but what I wanted to say is if Ito doesn't go, it doesn't mean JNT has a 5th spot to use.

 

[Catenaccio]

but what I wanted to say is if Ito doesn't go, it doesn't mean JNT has a 5th spot to use.

I agree with that.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I agree with that.

To be honest, I'm not so supportive of this gold card and non applicable to NER for 4 years.
it would be better if all OG medalists gets the same (maybe silver is 2 years, and bronze is 1 year) and same for WTTC. Maybe that is just me.

I can understand the WTT risks, as everyone will then be on long term holiday, but they also do deserve it!

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

To be honest, I'm not so supportive of this gold card and non applicable to NER for 4 years.
it would be better if all OG medalists gets the same (maybe silver is 2 years, and bronze is 1 year) and same for WTTC. Maybe that is just me.

I can understand the WTT risks, as everyone will then be on long term holiday, but they also do deserve it!

This whole Olympic gold card fiasco was ITTF/WTT's reaction to the sudden retirement of CM and FZD. It just so happens that only one country benefits from it as winners of the Teams event (as well as XD). It appears for the time being CM and FZD have moved on with their lives.

 

[piligrim]

Bad luck for Sora

 

[NextLevel]

The Olympic gold card only applies to reigning Olympic gold medalists (so top Chinese). The tournament uses the ranking list 6 weeks before the start of the main event and at that time, Hina was ahead of Honoka.

I think in the end, it was good for Honoka. She played Almaty and won, and she beat He Zhuojia, a traditional problem opponent for her. She might have gotten to play Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu at the Champions but I don't think the value in ranking points or personal belief would have been as valuable unless she beat those players. Nothing to complain about really... though I get it.