WTT Chongqing 2025 Preview: Highlights and Schedule

From March 11th to 16th, Beijing time, the 2025 WTT Chongqing Championship will be rekindled at the Bloomage LIVE Yudong Stadium, where the world's top players will gather for six days of exciting competition.

The Champions Series is WTT's premier singles tournament that brings together the top 32 players in the men's and women's world rankings. The Chongqing station is the first championship match of the season, and the main force of the Chinese table tennis team is dispatched, led by Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Wang Chuqin,Lin ShidongWaiting for the ace players to lead, vowing to keep the championship glory at home.

Here's everything you need to know about the Chongqing Championship, including an analysis of the draws, what to watch and what to watch.

Can Wang Chuqin return to the world's No. 1?

The champion will receive a whopping 1,000 world ranking points, which means that the fight for the men's singles world No. 1 will undoubtedly be a highlight of the Chongqing Championships.

AspirationsSingapore Grand Slam 2025After the men's singles championship,Lin ShidongtranscendWang Chuqin, successfully topped the world No. 1 and became the new hegemon of men's singles. This competition is Lin Shidong's first WTT event since he reached the top of the world. In the last six months, he has swept the table tennis world, won two WTT Grand Slam titles, and won two WTT Championship titles.

As the top seed of the tournament, Lin Shidong will face Chinese Taipei in the first roundGao Chengrui, which is also ranked 13th in the world in the 1/4 zoneLin YunruandJochik。 If all goes well, he will most likely meet his team-mates in the semi-finals of the first halfLiang JingkunMeet. This may be the third time the two sides have met in recent times, with Singapore Grand Slam Lim Shi Dong beating Liang Jing Kun to win the title and being knocked out in the Asian Cup semi-finals.

Liang Jingkun withLin GaoyuanIn the same quarter, the two are likely to meet in the second round, with the biggest threat in the same zone being the world-ranked FrenchmanFelix Lebrun。 The latter has a strong aggressive style of play, and the first three boards are fierce and strong.

And Wang Chuqin, who once occupied the world's No. 1 throne for nearly a year, now has an excellent opportunity to return to the top. Last year, he regretted winning silver in Chongqing, and this time he aims to win the championship.

After the 2024 Paris Olympics, Wang Chuqin has had a period of low points and has failed many times in the singles arena. However, after sweeping Liang Jingkun in four straight sets in the Asian Cup, Wang Chuqin regained his competitive form and self-confidence.

Wang Chuqin, who played as the No. 2 seed in the tournament, automatically settled in the bottom half of the bracket, which was extremely dangerous in the same zone, including the African championQuadri Aruna, European ChampionAlexis Ksleb, Japan's number one men's singlesTomokazu Zhangmotoand Brazilian starHugo Calderano。

According to the latest ITTF singles world rankings, Lin Shidong is currently only 100 points ahead of Wang Chuqin, who of the two can have the last laugh? We'll see!

Who can pull Sun Yingsha off the altar?

In the history of the WTT Championship,Sun YingshaUndoubtedly the most successful player to dateFive championships, unmatched.

In last year's Chongqing Championship, Sun Yingsha conquered the fans with her perfect performance. Heading into 2025, she has already bagged the Singapore Grand Slam. Despite losing in the Asian Cup finalWang Manyu, but she is still the biggest favourite.

With the aura of the women's singles world No. 1 and the defending champion, Sun Yingsha automatically settled in the 1/4 zone. The strongest player in the same region is the world No. 7 from JapanOto Satsuki。

World No. 3 Wang Yidi and Sun Yingsha are both in the top half of the bracket and will face a number of Japanese stars. In the first round, Wang Yidi will meet the mixed doubles champion of the 2020 Tokyo OlympicsMisei Ito。 Since entering 2025, Ito has faced Chinese players three times and achieved a record of 2 wins and 1 loss, which means that Wang Yidi will usher in a tough battle. In addition, in the quarterfinals, Wang Yidi may also meet the current highest-ranked player in the world of the Japanese teamHina HayataIf you want to advance to the semi-finals, success or failure is here.

There are three Chinese players in the bottom half, and now the upward momentum is very strongKuammanwith the fourth in the worldChen XingtongLocated in the 3/4 zone, the two have the potential to meet in the quarter-finals.

Wang ManyuHe is the No. 2 seed in the tournament's final quarter-finals and will face the Puerto Rican star in the first roundAdriana Diaz。 The biggest threat in the same zone is the Japanese playerMiwa Zhangmoto, which is ranked sixth in the world. In the just-concluded Asian Cup, Wang Manyu swept Sun Yingsha 4-0 in the final, both the game mentality and the competitive state are at the peak, and her goal is naturally to impact the championship.

Last season, the Chinese team consisted of four playersChen Meng, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu and Wang Yidi swept the semi-finals, can the Chinese team sweep the podium again in this competition?