2026 Table Tennis Super League Regular Season Concludes

The 2026 Chinese Table Tennis Super League regular season concluded on August 1 at the Xiong’an Sports Center Gymnasium in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei Province, with Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports and Shandong Luneng securing the top seeds in the men’s and women’s groups respectively. The finals are scheduled for December 25-27 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, as People’s Daily reported.

Dominant Performances Define the Regular Season

In the men’s competition, Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports capped a remarkable campaign with an 8:3 victory over Shanghai Real Estate Group on the final day, completing a perfect 12-0 record to claim the No. 1 seed. The team, featuring star players Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong, demonstrated overwhelming dominance throughout the two-phase regular season.

The women’s group saw Shandong Luneng defeat Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports 8:3 in a decisive match to secure the top seed. Kuai Man, who transferred from Shenzhen University this season, proved instrumental for Shandong Luneng, defeating He Zhuojia 3-0 in singles and partnering with Chen Xingtong in doubles to help her team prevail, according to Tencent News.

The four teams advancing to the men’s finals are Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports, Beijing Yidian Xindong, Shanghai Real Estate Group, and Huangshi Dongchu. On the women’s side, Shandong Luneng, Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports, Shanghai Center, and Huangshi Dongchu secured their places in the finals, as Xinhua reported.

Sun Yingsha’s Absence Shakes Up Women’s Field

One of the biggest storylines of the regular season was the absence of world No. 1 Sun Yingsha, whose Shenzhen University team failed to qualify for the finals. The defending women’s champions were eliminated as young players Qin Yuxuan and Zong Geman could not fill the void left by their star teammate.

Sun withdrew from the league due to a persistent left ankle injury compounded by accumulated fatigue from playing 119 matches in 2025. According to Sina Sports, she suffered an anterior talofibular ligament chronic strain with plantar fasciitis during the WTT Hong Kong Finals in December 2025, and medical staff recommended 4-6 weeks of systematic recovery. Her club’s statement used the phrase “克复伤情，养锐蓄威” (overcome injuries, nurture strength and conserve power) to explain the decision to prioritize her health.

New Format Signals Olympic Preparation

The 2026 season introduced significant format changes to the league, adopting a new 15-game-8-win system that replaces the previous 5-match-3-win format. Each match-up consists of three games (11-point format), with the order being doubles, singles, singles, doubles, and singles. Players can appear at most twice per match, and U19 athletes must appear in the first three matches, as detailed by Sina News.

The league also expanded to 18 teams (10 men’s, 8 women’s), with every team required to register at least one U19 player. The format changes are widely viewed as preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the IOC has decided to merge men’s and women’s team events into a mixed team event. The new format mirrors the mixed team World Cup structure, as Sohu noted.

The regular season was played in two phases—Phase 1 in Dalian (July 23-26) and Phase 2 in Xiong’an New Area (July 29-August 1)—with the Xiong’an venue highlighting the continued development of the national-level new area’s sports infrastructure, as China Daily’s photo coverage showcased.

Looking Ahead to the Finals

With the regular season complete, the top-seeded teams will have the advantage of choosing their semifinal opponents in the single-elimination finals. The No. 1 seed selects from the No. 3 or No. 4 seeds, and losing semifinalists are ranked according to their regular season standing.

The finals in Guangzhou will determine the 2026 champions, with Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports seeking to convert their perfect regular season into a title, while Shandong Luneng aims to carry their momentum forward. The absence of Sun Yingsha from the finals adds an element of uncertainty, but the new format’s emphasis on depth and youth development suggests the competition will be fierce across all four teams in each group.

As the league transitions toward the Olympic format, the 2026 season has already demonstrated that China’s table tennis pipeline remains deep, with young players stepping into prominent roles and established stars adapting to a more demanding team structure.