Inside the Centennial London Worlds as ITTF Charts Its Next 100 Years

At the centennial 2026 World Table Tennis Championships in London, the competition on court is intense and relentless, while off court, the sport has also entered a moment of “high-density dialogue.” In this city that has witnessed a century of table tennis development, the President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) sat down for an exclusive interview. She addressed, in a systematic manner, the sport’s direction at a critical historical juncture — covering competition format reform, Olympic system adjustments, global expansion, and the transformative impact of the AI era. A century is not an endpoint, but the beginning of a new cycle.

Journalist: How do you view the changes in competition format, and what positive developments have you seen in the global competitive landscape of table tennis?

Petra Sörling:

From an international perspective, table tennis has truly become a global sport. The ITTF now has 227 member associations, making it the largest international single-sport federation in the world. At this London event, 64 men and 64 women are competing, representing 79 member associations. This fully reflects the global reach and growing vitality of our sport.

Journalist: The World Team Championships have produced many closely contested matches and unexpected results.

Petra Sörling:

The level of competition is extremely high. With a more intensive calendar and an increasing number of open events, players face each other more frequently, which is beneficial for the sport. We want to see more exciting matches and surprises, as they continuously raise the overall competitive standard.

Journalist: Many players felt the early stages of the competition were particularly demanding. Will the format remain the same in the future?

Petra Sörling:

This is the first time we have returned to a 64-team format, so we need to carefully evaluate and review it. The focus is not only on the number of teams, but more importantly on the competition format itself. We aim to establish a more refined and well-balanced system for the team championships before the 2028 World Championships in Kobe, Japan.

Journalist: Team events have been removed from the Olympic programme. What is the future of team competitions?

Petra Sörling:

Team events remain extremely important to us. Although the men’s and women’s team events were removed from the Olympic Games and replaced by doubles, we introduced a mixed team event. Therefore, “team” remains a core strategic priority for the ITTF.

We will continue to explore the development of team events within the ITTF structure, and the World Team Championships will remain one of the most important events in our sport.

Journalist: The ITTF Mixed Doubles World Cup will be launched next year. What are your thoughts on this new event?

Petra Sörling:

I am very excited about it. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games approaching, many players and coaches have called for more doubles events. We listened carefully to this feedback, which is why we have officially added this competition to the ITTF calendar.

Journalist: Looking back on the 100-year history of the World Championships, what milestone stands out most to you?

Petra Sörling:

If we go back to 1926, there were only nine founding member associations — no one could have imagined where we would be in 2026. Growing from nine to 227 members is extremely meaningful to me. It shows that table tennis has truly become a global family.

Other key milestones include the change from the 21-point system to the 11-point system, which made the game faster and more exciting, as well as the early introduction of equal prize money. These developments are particularly important as they influence how the next generation of children and parents choose sports.

Journalist: In the context of Olympic reform and the expanding WTT calendar, how can the World Championships continue to demonstrate their value?

Petra Sörling:

The World Team Championships are not only a top-level competition, but also an important platform for the development of the sport. We must both crown world champions and ensure broad participation from many nations, thereby supporting the global growth of table tennis.

And of course, the title of “world champion” will always remain one of the highest achievements for athletes.

Journalist: What are your expectations for the next 100 years of table tennis?

Petra Sörling:

During our centenary year, we have reflected deeply on this question. Ultimately, we are custodians of the sport. The most important thing is that every decision we make must serve the long-term future of table tennis over the next 100 years.

Journalist: The mixed team event is now an official Olympic discipline. How will the ITTF further promote women’s participation?

Petra Sörling:

Over many years, we have worked to make table tennis more attractive for female athletes and to promote gender equality across the sport.

The mixed team event is one of our most successful initiatives. It is no longer just a concept — it is now an official Olympic discipline. We must continue to innovate and create more events that reflect and strengthen gender equality.

Journalist: Table tennis will award six gold medals at LA28. What is your vision for the future development of the sport?

Petra Sörling:

In today’s sporting landscape, all sports are competing for greater visibility and growth. We are proud that table tennis now has more Olympic medal events than any other racket sport.

At the same time, we must remain relevant. We must not only compete with other sports, but also attract new audiences — especially children and non-sport consumers — to play and follow table tennis. This remains a key focus of our daily work.

Journalist: The AI era is reshaping all industries. How does the ITTF view artificial intelligence in relation to table tennis?

Petra Sörling:

Artificial intelligence represents a major opportunity, and I believe table tennis has strong potential in this area.

In our recent Executive Board meeting, we decided to establish a dedicated working group to define the ITTF’s AI strategy and direction. AI can improve administration and operations, but I also believe it will positively influence the sport itself in the future.

Standing at the temporal crossroads of the centennial World Championships in London, table tennis is evolving from a mature sport into a continuously self-renewing global system. Whether through competition format optimisation, gender equality initiatives, or the reshaping of technological and commercial structures, the ITTF is no longer addressing only operational matters, but designing a structural blueprint for the next century. Between transformation and tradition, the sport is striving to write a clearer chapter for its next hundred years.