The ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2025, set to unfold in Doha, Qatar, from May 17 to 25, marks a historic return to the Middle East, 21 years after Doha became the region’s first host in 2004.
This nine-day spectacle at the state-of-the-art Lusail Multipurpose Hall and Qatar University Sports Complex will showcase the world’s elite players competing for glory across five events: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.
With 128 players in each singles event and 64 pairs in each doubles category, the tournament promises intense, high-stakes rallies in a straight knockout format—singles matches played as best-of-7 and doubles as best-of-5.
Event Overview
Dates: May 17–25, 2025
Venues: Lusail Multipurpose Hall (main venue) and Qatar University Sports Complex (early rounds)
Events: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles
Format: Straight knockout; singles (best-of-7), doubles (best-of-5)
Finals Schedule: Mixed Doubles final on May 24; Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles finals on May 25
Trophies: Iconic awards include the St. Bride Vase (Men’s Singles, since 1929) and Geist Prize (Women’s Singles, since 1931), symbolizing the sport’s rich heritage.
Lusail Sports Arena, a symbol of Qatar’s growing sports prestige, will host the main stage, offering a world-class setting for players and spectators. The Qatar University Sports Complex will support early rounds, ensuring smooth logistics.
Doha’s reputation as a premier sports destination, combined with its cultural richness, enhances the event’s appeal. Tickets, available via Q-Tickets, have seen high demand, with prices ranging from QR 110 (Category 2) to QR 2,192 (VVIP full-day pass).
Lin Shidong
The World No.1 and one of the hot favourites to lift the St. Bride Vase in Doha, Lin Shidong has been the form player of the past eight months, reaching incredible heights on the WTT Series. His standout moment of the season so far came at Singapore Smash 2025, striking not one, not two, but three titles in the Lion City. Making his first Men’s Singles appearance at the World Championships Finals, could this turn out to be the dream debut when all is said and done?
Wang Chuqin
Returning to the World Championships stage with a score to settle, Wang Chuqin is ready to do whatever it takes in pursuit of sporting immortality. His runner-up finish two years back in Durban is a result he’s desperate to better, and if it’s the same Wang Chuqin who thundered to title glory at WTT Champions Chongqing 2025 that rocks up in Doha, then there will be no stopping the 2023 silver medallist this time around.
Hugo Calderano
A trailblazing force for table tennis in the Americas, the Thrill from Brazil travels to Doha on cloud nine. Hugo Calderano took a step in the right direction with his quarterfinal finish at WTT Champions Incheon 2025. That result would inspire a magical week at the ITTF World Cup in Macao, becoming the first player from his continent to lift the prestigious trophy with sensational victories over Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong. Now his sights are set on a first World Championships Finals medal.
Tomokazu Harimoto
Twice a Mixed Doubles silver medallist, Tomokazu Harimoto has ambitions to add to that tally in Doha, chasing his first Men’s Singles podium on this historic stage. A former WTT Champions event winner, the fiery Japanese star knows what it takes to outshine the sport’s brightest and best. Powering his way to the title once already this season in Doha with an outstanding week at WTT Star Contender Doha 2025, are the stars beginning to align for Harimoto?
Liang Jingkun
A man who has been inseparable from the World Championships Finals podium in recent years, Liang Jingkun is looking to build on three successive medal finishes at this level, striking Men’s Singles bronze in 2019, 2021 and 2023. Both of his appearances on WTT Series 2025 so far have been nothing short of impressive, battling past Wang Chuqin to reach the Singapore Smash 2025 final before adding a semifinal finish at WTT Champions Chongqing to his record. Can Liang get his hands on a different coloured medal in Doha?
Since 1926, the World Table Tennis Championships have been a pinnacle of the sport, held biennially since 1957. Doha’s 2025 edition follows a legacy of dominance by Hungary (1920s–1930s), Japan (1950s), and China (1960s–present, with Sweden’s brief reign from 1989–2000). The event’s return to Doha underscores Qatar’s commitment to table tennis, building on its 2004 milestone.
The 2025 Championships are more than a competition; they’re a global celebration of table tennis’s technical brilliance and unity. With historic trophies, world-class facilities, and a diverse field of competitors, Doha is poised to deliver unforgettable moments.
Fans can expect electrifying performances, from precision shots to dramatic comebacks, as players vie for a place among the sport’s legends.
