United States (US) Smash 2026, Los Angeles, California, USA 26 Jun - 5 Jul 2026

[pongfugrasshopper]

Might not be the 2nd singles spot for LA28 at this rate. Looking more like it will either be WYD, CXT or KM.

Nah... WMY still better than any of those players.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Please retire WMY

 

[NextLevel]

WMY seems vulnerable these days

There are 4 smashes in a year. They probably underweighted her preparation for defenders since they are unlikely to be at the Olympics. But if they are going to be at the Olympics, they will prep her to the hilt.

 

[NextLevel]

Might not be the 2nd singles spot for LA28 at this rate. Looking more like it will either be WYD, CXT or KM.

You would rather fix WMY with the right balance of rest and training than go with people who have never won anything. Harsh but true.

 

[zeio]

WMY seems vulnerable these days

From the CCTV-5 program on WTTC 2026, WMY has been dealing with a neck injury since the start of the championships, having just come back from her shoulder and low back injuries that were aggravated in World Cup 2026.

 

[zeio]

Might not be the 2nd singles spot for LA28 at this rate. Looking more like it will either be WYD, CXT or KM.

Still the 2nd best against non-CNT players for the time being since 2025. 2026 hasn't been a nice year for both WMY and KM.

MLin knew KM would likely lose to Hashimoto but still fielded her in the WT F of WTTC 2026 to get experience (as I projected in 2/2025), and that put immense pressure on WMY to perform well against Harimoto to get a head start since she thought as much, as revealed by both of them.

https://weibo.com/7799344079/R6DAcxIi3
As of 2026/7/1
SYS 0
WMY 5
CXT 5
KM 8
WYD 9
CY 14

 

[piligrim]

Darko should retire

 

[dewnyc]

Everyone who loses should retire

 

[dewnyc]

Nah... WMY still better than any of those players.

Yup, and Olympic selections are still about 2 years away

 

[kindof99]

WYD and CXT look exhausted and have no interest in playing table tennis at all. TO me, they are basically retired already.

 

[Janard]

WYD and CXT look exhausted and have no interest in playing table tennis at all. TO me, they are basically retired already.

Can't blame them. They were essentially banned from playing the Asian Games trials to make way for younger players, but the team can't afford to retire them yet as results have been abysmal the last few events without any core players. Not saying they will win but will probably be able to make the QF/SFs...

 

[NextLevel]

A behind the scenes look at the German national team - when you see Han Ying doing this, then you don't get so surprised that she beat Chen Yi lol...

 

[zeio]

Well, some members here sound like TensorBackhand and those Chinese fangirls who only care about medals and know nothing else other than results.

It's not just Mizutani who has defended (as well as criticized) Harimoto but also Hao Shuai. Even some of the former HKG players and coaches hold the same view.

I really should stop wasting my brain cells on internet forums... 同你班蛋散真係拗來都多𨳊餘

Ma Long’s Pick: Best Non-Chinese Player 👀 #offthebounce #podcast #tabletennis #乒乓球 #malong
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/F19m-sSuJTM

 

[USAer]

Here is one link that alludes to my major point, you can draw the lines how you chose, but I have no reason to take you seriously if you think that you have a monopoly on how to think about this.

February 11, 2015 | TableTennisCoaching.com

Contenders for Greatest Of All Time (Men) There have always been debates about who is the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT). Most end up with a ranking. But a ranking for GOAT is not the same thing as listing the actual contenders. There are players who are arguably among the best of all time, perhaps...

www.tabletenniscoaching.com

I think my point is clear, you are free to make yours if you think the modern boosted rubber era is contiguous with the early sponge era (and I do not).

You can have the final words. Cheers.

Well, it’s fun to look at Larry’s analysis, which has a lot going for it. you could pick a greatest Japanese player from each of his four eras. using Larry’s categories, what’s clear is that Ogimura was a far more dominant player during his era than Mizutani was in his. Your conclusion seems to say that the current era was so much more important,as to overcome that difference. Of course you can say that if you like, that’s what makes sports discussions enjoyable.

 

[NextLevel]

Well, it’s fun to look at Larry’s analysis, which has a lot going for it. you could pick a greatest Japanese player from each of his four eras. using Larry’s categories, what’s clear is that Ogimura was a far more dominant player during his era than Mizutani was in his. Your conclusion seems to say that the current era was so much more important,as to overcome that difference. Of course you can say that if you like, that’s what makes sports discussions enjoyable.

My point is that I don't seriously compare across eras and that even in this era, Mizutani clearly has competition with Harimoto (and possibly Matsushima). The point was to make it clear that Mizutani has a throne from which to make such pronouncements about Togami based on his early success and achievements but Togami can still achieve great things on a different schedule and I think that difference in schedule is an issue for Togami and why he will never really get respected by Mizutani.

I don't really care whether Mizutani is objectively the greatest Japanese player of all time, my point is that relative to Togami, he had achieved so much more at the same age, and there are good arguments why he is the greatest, just as there are good arguments why Harimoto is or Sora is becoming etc.. Mizutani already had 5 national championships at the age of 24. He ended up with 10 and they take their national championships seriously in Japan.

Far more dominant is a serious overstatement when you look beneath the hood. Ogimura played in a different era for Japanese TT achievement (and with less Chinese competition as well), but I don't care really, my point is that I am not thinking about Ogimura when making my pronouncement and I don't feel any obligation to because his era is not in my time horizon. That's my main point here, not that anyone's era is more important. I have the same issues even when comparing Atanda Musa to Segun Toriola and Quadri Aruna and they are supposedly easier to compare than Mizutani vs Ogimura.

 

[TampaBayTableTennis]

Calderano coming for that trophy