(by Steve Hopkins)

The final Grand Smash of the year is almost here. China Smash 2026 Presented by Beijing Shijingshan Culture & Tourism Group runs from 1 October to 11 October at Shougang Park in Beijing, and the timing couldn’t be more interesting. All of the Men’s Top 25 will be present – with USA’s Kanak Jha (No. 28) among the recognizable names in the competition.  Many of the top players are heading to Beijing straight from a dramatic week at the Asian Games in Japan.  We’ll have more coverage of that event after the media blackout period ends – but suffice it to say that top Japanese players will be arriving in Beijing with confidence and momentum.  And they aren’t the only ones – Wang Chuqin still has a strangle hold on the World No. 1 spot, and Felix Lebrun, Truls Moregard, and Hugo Calderano have all had their own recent successes on the tour.

Who will be on top two weeks from now?  This may be the first time all year that that is a legitimate question.  The stakes are as high as ever but so is the sport’s parity on the Men’s side. There is currently only 1400 ranking points between No. 1 Wang Chuqin and No. 2 Felix Lebrun, with Sora Matsushima just 1900 points behind the leader.  The Singles Champion in Beijing will collect 2,000 world ranking points.  And that doesn’t even mention the 2 million USD in prize money.  The China Smash will be a major swing event for the rankings heading into the end of the season.

Wang Chuqin is the defending champion. He won the 2025 title by defeating Felix Lebrun in the final, but it wasn’t easy. In the semifinal, Xiang Peng struck first and won the first two games before Chuqin recovered.  Japan comes to Beijing with two players at the top of the rankings. Matsushima is No. 3 in the world and Harimoto is No. 4, while China’s Lin Shidong is ranked eighth.  Both of these Japanese players have had mixed results recently – with some huge wins, and some disappointing losses.  The same can also be said of Lin Shidong who was at the top of the rankings, but may have recently emerged from that spiral.  So its Wang Chuqin at the top – dominant but not impenetrable – followed by a series of contenders who are capable of winning.  The next two weeks should provide some great entertainment.

The draws will be revealed soon and action starts on Thursday.  Tune in to ButterflyOnline.com for the latest table tennis news and results.