(by Steve Hopkins, lower photo WTT)

It can be tough to remember how young she is because of how long she has been near the top of the World Rankings, but seventeen-year-old Miwa Harimoto just won her ninth WTT tour singles title in Chongqing.   The younger of the famed Harimoto siblings won the first time on the tour at the WTT Feeder Series event in Antalya, Turkey almost exactly 3 years ago (in March of 2023).  Since that time, she has logged wins at the WTT Contender Tunis (in three consecutive years 2023, 24, 25), WTT Star Contender Chennai (2025), WTT Contender Buenos Aires (2025), WTT Star Contender Foz do Iguacu (2025), WTT Star Contender London (2025), and now at the WTT Champions Chongqing.

This would be an impressive resume for many retiring players – so it is incredible for the youngest player in the World Top 25.  In fact, in Women’s table tennis where the average age of the world’s top 25 players is about 27 years old, there are only two teens – Miwa Harimoto at seventeen, and Korea Republic player Joo Cheonhui who is 19.  The tour can expect to see Harimoto for at least another ten years, and if the ages of the other top players is an indication, Harimoto’s peak is still in her promising future.

As action proceeded into the final day at the WTT Champions Series Event in Chongqing, it was Kuai Man against Wang Yidi in one all-Chinese Semi, and in the other half of the draw it was Miwa Harimoto and Satsuki Odo in an all-Japanese Semi.  Each of the top four seeds had lost in upsets, but on Sunday – the higher seeds won both the Semifinals.  This left Kuai Man (World no. 5) and Miwa Harimoto (World No. 8) advancing to the Final.

For Kuai Man, she had fought through a very tough draw defeating Elizabeta Samara and Bruna Takahashi before topping World No. 1 Sun Yingsha 4-2 in the Quarters and then World No. 8 Wang Yidi 4-1 in the Semis.  Harimoto’s path included wins over Nagasaki, Hursey, Shi Xunyao, and Odo.

In the Final, Harimoto won the first game, Kuai Man fired back with two in a row, Harimoto won the next two to retake the lead.  Kuai Man evened the match score with a win in the sixth, but it was Harimoto with a dominant seventh game to seal the victory. Miwa Harimoto wins 4-3.  This is Harimoto’s first WTT Champions title and she is now the youngest player to ever win a WTT Champions singles title.  Along with the title, she also took home the $60,000 champions purse and all-important ranking points (1,000 point which was sufficient to move her up in the rankings to No. 5).

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