The 2025 Asian Table Tennis Cup will be held in Shenzhen from February 19 to 23. This year's Asian Cup has significantly increased the number of participants, with 32 slots each for men's and women's singles, divided into 8 groups with 4 players in each group. They will compete in a round-robin format within their groups, with the top 2 from each group advancing to the round of 16. From there, the competition will transition to a knockout stage until the final champion is determined.
Currently, both the Asian Cup and the World Cup are increasing the number of participant slots, providing more opportunities for players to participate. Each association can now have up to 4 slots, an increase from the previous limit of 2. Defending champions, Asian Championship winners, and host countries can also secure an additional slot.
China's national table tennis team (Guoping) has secured 6 slots in both men's and women's singles. In the women's singles, Sun Yingsha leads the lineup, joined by three other mainstays Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong, and Wang Yidi. Two relatively young players, Kuai Man and Shi Xunyao, have also been given the opportunity, coincidentally meeting in the women's singles final at the recently concluded Mascot tournament.
In the men's singles, Wang Chuqin leads the charge, with Lin Shidong, Liang Jingkun, and Lin Gaoyuan also included. Two young talents, Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu, who also participated in the Mascot tournament, have shown great potential. Chen Yuanyu performed exceptionally well, defeating Tomokazu Harimoto in the final. While this victory does not necessarily make him an overnight sensation, it holds significant meaning for his growth and will likely lead to him receiving focused training.
Huang Youzheng also put on an impressive display, engaging in a tough battle against Tomokazu Harimoto before narrowly losing. The close match indicates that he is a promising new star with considerable strength and potential.
These two young players can be said to have overtaken their peers in the rankings and positions, surpassing the likes of Xiang Peng, Xu Yingbin, and Zhou Qihao. Of course, their success is largely due to their own outstanding performances.
For Qian Tianyi in the women's singles, it is unfortunate as her current world ranking is just behind the top four players. Although she is not considered young, she has been in good form recently. However, she may have lost to Japanese players last year. Kuai Man has a good record against Japanese opponents, while Shi Xunyao defeated Tomokazu Harimoto last year and beat Miu Hirano last week.
All associations have completed their registration, and the official website has published the full list of participants. In the men's singles, China's main competitors include Japan, with Tomokazu Harimoto being the Asian Championship winner, securing 5 slots for Japan. South Korea is also strong, and Chinese Taipei has competitive power. Currently, the main rivals to watch are Tomokazu Harimoto, Lin Yunju, Jang Woojin, Koki Niwa, and Kenta Matsudaira.
In the women's singles, the competition is mainly between China and Japan, with China's main opponents being the Japanese team. They have qualified four players based on their world rankings: Hina Hayata, Tomokazu Harimoto, Miyuu Koga, and Mima Ito.
Looking at their recent form, it is not particularly ideal. Last week, Hina Hayata, Tomokazu Harimoto, and Miyuu Koga all participated in the Doha Star Tournament but did not perform well. Hina Hayata lost to Chen Yi, Miyuu Koga lost to Kuai Man, and Tomokazu Harimoto even lost to Thailand's Orawan. Mima Ito has not competed this year and is finding it difficult to maintain her competitiveness.
South Korea is generally unable to compete with China's national team. A few Indian players with unconventional styles should be watched out for. Kuai Man, with her mixed doubles advantage, has the most potential among the young players to break through in singles and join the main lineup. Shi Xunyao must rely on solid results, and we look forward to her better performance in the future.