Top 20 Best Women’s Table Tennis Players and Their Equipment
1. Zhu Yuling
Previously ranked at #2, ZhuYuling managed to move up a ranking to finish at the #1 spot this time around. A 22-year-old out of China, she began playing table tennis at the age of 5 and actually made the provincial team at the age of 12, moving up to the national team at age 15. With many World Championship medals from her youth and adulthood, she has competed in singles, doubles, and teams.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Zhu Yuling uses a Stiga Intensity NCT blade with a DHS Hurricane 3 Neo forehand and Butterfly Tenergy 05 backhand rubber.
Image: ittf.com
2. Chen Meng
Another one who moved up one ranking over the year, Chen Meng managed to take the #2 spot after a #3 ranking the year before. A 23-year-old out of China, she won the 2011 World Junior Table Tennis Championships as a youth and has continued to grow ever since. Though she lost the quarter-final of the 2017 ITTF World Tour Hybiome Open she did claim the Women’s Singles title from the Seamaster 2017 Australian Open.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Chen Meng uses a Butterfly Innerforce ZLF with a Tenergy 64 rubber.
Image: ittf.com
3. Liu Shiwen
Moving from the #4 ranking to #3, Liu Shiwenis a 26-year-old out of China, who has won 4 World Cups, 3 World Tour Grand Finals and 4 Asian Cups. Through 9 months of 2010, she also held the ITTF #1 ranking, achieving #1 - #3 for each year between 2012 and 2015. With more competitions at a single level, she has also participated in many competitions in doubles with others from mixed doubles and teams as well.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Liu Shiwen uses a blade made especially for her, the Liu Shiwen FL with a DHS Hurricane 3 NEO blue sponge for the forehand and the same in red for the backhand.
Image: ittf.com
4. Kasumi Ishikawa
Kasumi Ishikawa managed to move from the #5 ranking up to #4 this year as a 24-year-old player out of Japan. Coming from a family of competitive table tennis players, including her parents and younger sister, she is a very offensive player with speedy top-spin and loop attacks. With a number of medals for singles, doubles, mixed doubles and teams events she is primarily a singles player, with a current silver medal in the All Japan Championship.
Equipment: A left-handed player with a shakehand grip, Kasumi Ishikawa uses a Butterfly Innerforce Layer ALC and Nittaku FastArc G-1 with a DHS Neo Hurricane 3 sponge.
Image: ittf.com
5. Miu Hirano
Going from #6 to #5, Miu Hirano is one of the younger players on the circuit as a 17-year-old out of Japan.Having achieved a record for the youngest winner of the Asian Championships and the third non-Chinese player to win the singles title she also reached the semi-finals of the 2017 World Table Tennis Championships. She was also the first Japanese woman to win the singles event at the same competition since 1969.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Miu Hirano uses a Stiga Clipper Wood blade with Tenergy rubbers.
Image: ittf.com
6. Ito Mima
Moving from #7 to #6 is another 17-year-old player out of Japan, ItoMima became the youngest person to win a match at the Japanese Senior Table Tennis Championships at the age of 10. She was also the youngest person to win an ITTF Junior Circuit tournament and even managed to defeat the player ranked #50 in the world at the age of 11. She only continued to grow from there, becoming the youngest (along with Miu Hirano) to win doubles at the ITTF World Tour at the age of 13. She has also broken records for the youngest Olympic Table Tennis player in the women’s team category to win a medal with a bronze in Rio.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Ito Mima uses a Nittaku Acoustic Carbon, Nittaku Moristo SP or Nittaku Fastarc G-1.
Image: ittf.com
7. Cheng I-Ching
Cheng I-Ching managed to move up three spaces from the #10 spot to the #7 spot. A 25-year-old out of Taiwan, she competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in the singles competition, though she was defeated in the quarterfinals. Achieving the third place ranking at the Uncle Pop 2017 ITTF Women’s World Cup, she has also won silver for mixed doubles at the 2017 World Championships, competing in a number of competitions as a doubles player.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Cheng I-Ching uses a Zhang Jike ALC with a Spin Art SPA forehand and Tenergy 64 backhand.
Image: ittf.com
8. Feng Tianwei
Holding steady at #8 for the second year in a row, Feng Tianweiis a 31-year-old player out of Singapore who has competed in several Olympic competitions, including the 2012 Summer Olympics where she received the first medal in singles table tennis for Singapore in over 50 years. With a total of 3 medals from Olympic Games and over 14 gold medals in National and international competitions she has competed in singles, doubles, and teams many times.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Feng Tianwei uses a Zhang Jike blade with a Donic Bluefire forehand and Dawei Iqul backhand.
Image: ittf.com
9. Sun Yingsha
Another player that managed to hold their own, Sun Yingsha ranked #9 for the second year in a row. A 17-year-old player out of China, she, along with Chen Xingtong achieved the trophy for women’s doubles at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Platinum Hybiome Austrian Open. The winner of the ITTF World Tour Japan Open at her first debut, she has also managed to achieve excellence in competitions as a singles, doubles or teams player.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Sun Yingsha uses a Stiga Carbonado 145 with a Hurricane 3 and Tenergy rubber.
Image: ittf.com
10. Wang Manyu
Moving up one rank to #10, Wang Manyuis an 18-year-old player out of China who currently plays for Team Persson. The winner of the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Platinum Hybiome Austrian Open, she has a clinical style that has allowed her to win over a number of highly ranked opponents throughout her junior level days and her adult tournament appearances. With appearances in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, she has continued to achieve great things in national and international competitions.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Wang Manyu uses an exclusive DHS all would blade without rubbers.
Image: ittf.com
11. Han Ying
Han Ying is a 34-year-old player out of Germany who managed to bump up her ranking by one to come out at #11. She competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as part of the team’s competition and achieved a silver medal. Playing for KTS Tarnobrzeg, she primarily plays in team events though she has competed in singles and doubles events and achieved medals as well. This includes a bronze for a singles appearance in the 2013 Schwechat European Championships.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Han Ying uses a Victas Koji Matsushita with a DHS Hurricane 3 Neo forehand and TSP Spectol backhand rubbers.
Image: ittf.com
12. Hitomi Sato
Moving from #13 to #12 for this year, Hitomi Sato is a 20-year-old player out of Japan who, along with Honoka Hashimoto, achieved the title in Women’s Doubles at the 2017 ITTF Challenge Belgium Open. She is now continuing to the German Open and hopes to win at the Tokyo Olympics. This is the third time the two have won on the ITTF World Tour, having won the Australian and Austrian Open, though they received second in Austria this time around.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Hitomi Sato uses a custom Butterfly blade with a DHS Hurricane 3 Neo forehand and Butterfly Feint Long II backhand rubber.
Image: ittf.com
13. Honoka Hashimoto
Honoka Hashimoto improved her ranking by one to come out at #13 as a 19-year-old player out of Japan. Paired with Hitmoi Sato for doubles, she has won the 2017 ITTF Challenge Belgium Open, the 2016 ITTF World Tour Australian Open and the Austrian Open, coming in second at the 2017 World Tour Austrian Open. She has also won the Women’s Singles title at the 2017 ITTF Challenge Zagreb Open after previously reaching the semi-finals and being the runner-up.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Honoka Hashimoto uses a Nittaku Goriki Super Cut blade with a Victas V > 15 Extra forehand and a Nittaku DO Knuckle backhand rubber.
Image: ittf.com
14. Hina Hayata
Going from #15 to #14 is 17 year old Hina Hayata out of Japan, who achieved the title in Women’s Singles at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Platinum Hybiome Austrian Open. Known for the funny faces she makes, she has managed to outplay competitors that have been around for a much longer time than she has, and she does it very professionally. Primarily a singles player, she has still competed in doubles competitions as well.
Equipment: A left-handed player with a shakehand grip, Hina Hayata uses a Stiga Sense 7.6 with DHS Hurricane 3 Neo rubbers.
Image: ittf.com
15. Jeon Jihee
25-year-old Jeon Jihee out of the Republic of Korea finished #15, one spot above her previous ranking of #16. A prior competitor in the 2016 Summer Olympics Women’s Singles event and Team event she has also won 3 ITTF World Tour Women’s Singles titles. She was also the only player in the 2017 Summer Universiade to earn a podium finish in each of the four available events, proving that she most definitely knows what she’s doing in singles, doubles, teams and mixed doubles.
Equipment: A left-handed player with a shakehand grip, Jeon Jihee uses a Butterfly Innerforce Layer ZLC with a DHS Hurricane 3 Neo forehand and Butterfly Tenergy 05 backhand rubber.
Image: ittf.com
16. Li Jie
33-year-old Li Jie out of the Netherlands managed to move up a total of four spaces to take the #16 spot. Born in China, she now plays for a Spanish team, Club Cartagena and has appeared at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games in singles and teams. With a number of gold and silver medals, primarily for doubles and team events, she has been active in the circuit with high rankings since 2008.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Li Jie uses a Butterfly Matsushita Pro Model with a Butterfly Tenergy 64 forehand and Haifu Dolphin backhand rubbers.
Image: ittf.com
17. Miyu Kato
Miyu Kato moved up three rankings to finish at #17 as an 18-year-old out of Japan, with a WTA singles ranking of 123 and WTA doubles ranking of 30. With a number of rankings and high placements in opens throughout the world, she has a career record of 97-82 and 2 ITF titles. She is not known for mixed doubles or team games but does very well in doubles and singles.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Miyu Kato uses a double-handed backhand and a Butterfly Innerforce Layer ZLC blade with Tenergy 64 forehand and Tenergy 80 backhand rubbers.
Image: boomsbeat.com
18. Doo Hoi Kem
Moving from #19 to #18, Doo Hoi Kem is a 21-year-old player from Hong Kong who achieved two medals at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics. She also participated in the Hong Kong Women’s Team at the 2014 World Team Championships and mixed doubles at the Wong Chun Ting at the World Championships where she achieved a bronze medal in 2015. Doo Hoi Kem and her doubles partner, Lee Ho Ching, achieved the title of the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour India Open.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Doo Hoi Kem uses a Stiga Infinity VPS V with DHS Hurricane 3 forehand and backhand rubbers.
Image: zimbio.com
19. Shan Xiaona
The first of our top 20 to fall in rankings is Shan Xiaona, who went from #17 to #19. Still, a 34-year-old player from Germany, she also represented Germany at the 2016 Summer Olympics with a silver medal in the Women’s Team competition. She has also won the German Open in 2014 and continues to participate in many doubles and team competitions, though the Olympics is the only high-level experience she’s had. Born in China, she is one of the older players to make this list.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a penhold grip, Shan Xiaona uses a Butterfly Ishlion X with Flarestorm II rubbers on the forehand and backhand.
Image: ittf.com
20. Suh Hyowon
Suh Hyowon jumped the most out of any of the top 20, going from #27 to #20 this year. A 30-year-old player out of the Republic of Korea she competed in the Women’s Singles event and as part of the South Korean Team for the 2016 Summer Olympics. She competes in some single and team games and has continued to grow from junior competitions onward.
Equipment: A right-handed player with a shakehand grip, Suh Hyowon uses a Butterfly Joo Se Hyuk blade with Butterfly Tenergy 64 forehand and TSP Curl P1 R backhand rubbers.
Image: ittf.com
