South Korea's first sister Shin Yubin reached the semifinals on both fronts of the 2025 Doha World Table Tennis Championships, using her strength to show her presence

South Korea's first table tennis sister, 21-year-old Shin Yubin, saved the self-esteem of the Korean women's table tennis ace by winning at least two bronze medals at the 2025 ITTF World Championships (individual events).

Shin Yubin (right), who is happy after the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships is confirmed to enter the semifinals of mixed doubles

At the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar, which opened on the 17th, Shen Yubin participated in three events: women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. Although he has to play 2~3 games every day, Shin Yubin has not lost his smile, and while injecting vitality into the Korean table tennis national team, he is also proving his value with his strength.

Shin Yubin won the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles and women's doubles held in succession on the 22nd local time, ensuring the bottom of the two bronze medals. The World Table Tennis Championships does not have a third-place match, so if you reach the semi-finals, you will win a bronze medal tied for third.

Shin Yu-bin and Lin Zhongxun, who won the mixed doubles bronze medal at last year's Paris Olympics, teamed up to meet Chinese Taipei's Lin Yunru/Zheng Yijing in the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles, and finally defeated their opponents 3-2 to advance to the semifinals. This is after winning the women's doubles silver medal with the now retired Tian Zhixi at the last World Table Tennis Championships in Durban, Shen Yubin has won two consecutive World Table Tennis Championships medals.

Shin Yubin (left) and Lim Joong-hoon in mixed doubles at the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships

Shin Yubin said after the final four were confirmed: "Every game is tense. Brother Jung-hoon suggested that if you didn't attack, you would lose, so I cheered up. Because I didn't lose my self-confidence, I was able to win even in difficult situations. ”

As the ace player of South Korean women's table tennis, Shin Yubin's presence is even stronger in women's doubles. Due to the retirement of Tian Zhixi, who won the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games championship with Shin Yubin, the South Korean women's team has been disbanded and has been experimenting with Shin Yubin's new partner.

Shin Yubin first teamed up with Korean Air veteran Lee Eun-hye, and then began with the WTT Star Challenge Chennai in March this year, where Shin Yubin and Yoo Han-nah appeared as a duo. She formed a tacit understanding with the left-handed player Yoo Hannah, who had partnered with her during the junior national representative period, and successfully reached the top 8 in this tournament. The quarter-finals opponents are Japan's Women's Doubles world No. 1 Satsuki Oto/Sakura Yokoi.

Shin Yubin (right), who reached the semifinals of the mixed doubles at the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships, with coach Wu Shangyin (middle) and partner Lin Zhongxun (left).

Shin Yubin/Hannah Yoo climbed to No. 30 in the world rankings as WTT Chennai runners-up, but long-time collaborator Satsuki Oto/Sakura Yokoi are not easy opponents. In the end, Shin Yubin/Yoo Hannah won 3-1 with a fast-paced attack, securing a bronze medal while reaching the semifinals. After the game, Shin Yubin seemed to be unable to believe the victory, and ran to the head coach of the Korean women's national team, Shi Eun-mi, to hug and enjoy the joy of victory.

Although the partner changed from Tian Zhixi to Liu Hanna, Shin Yubin won the women's doubles medal at the World Table Tennis Championships for two consecutive years. Although Shen Yubin has won at least two bronze medals at this year's World Table Tennis Championships, in the women's singles competition, she failed to cross the barrier of Sun Yingsha, the world No. 1 who won two consecutive championships at this year's World Cup in Macau. Shen Yubin lost 2-4 in the round of 16 duel with Sun Yingsha and failed to enter the top 8.

After entering the women's doubles semifinals of the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships, coach Shi Enmei (left) and happy Yubin (middle)

South Korean media said that Shin Yubin was once again held back by Sun Yingsha, who lost 0-4 in the round of 16 in Durban in 2023. However, Shen Yubin was different from 2 years ago when he suffered a crisp defeat, and this time he did not fall behind in the stalemate, defeating Sun Yingsha 11-7 in the second game and 12-10 in the fifth game, and performed very well. Although he has lost all six singles matches against Chinese players this year, he has gained the confidence to surpass China, which is a big gain.

Shin Yubin will next face China's Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha in the Mixed Doubles semi-finals. Shin Yubin, who saved the self-esteem of South Korea's ace, will end the journey of this World Table Tennis Championships with a report card that has attracted much attention.