The message has gotten through. Faced with the withdrawal of several Chinese starsof the world circuit, World Table Tennis, the commercial and events arm of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), presented a package of measures on Tuesday to put out the fire. “Significant decisions to raise the prestige of the WTT Series while ensuringa balanced approach to player welfare and the sustainability of their careers”, it assures in a press release. In response to criticism regarding fines for non-participation, it has adapted the rules to " to offer greater flexibility to the athletes ». Table tennis players will now have the freedom to decide whether they want to compete in the Grand Smashes, which are therefore no longer mandatory. With the Singapore tournament having just ended, there are three tournaments in this category left this year: Las Vegas (July 3-13), Malmö (August 14-24) and China (September 25 to October 5). Players also get two exemptions per year from participation in WTT Champions events (six in 2025), "which will allow them to better manage their schedule".
The WTT Board of Directors also awarded $1 million more in prize money (half for the WTT Series, the other half for the WTT Finals) in order to “strengthen financial incentives across all events”. Finally, a little bonus for the Olympic champions : their title will give them access to all Grand Smashes and all WTT Champions for four years following their Olympic victory. “Players are at the heart of everything we do and we are committed to listening to their feedback, explains ITTF President Petra Sörling. I am delighted to see World Table Tennis implementing these positive changes, demonstrating our collective ability to address concerns in a sincere, collaborative and rapid manner.” The WTT Board of Directors is also studying the idea of incorporating more best of seven matches in its calendar to align, in particular, with the rule applied to the Olympic Games.
