Sun Yingsha Photo: Xinhua

Ticket sales for the WTT China Smash 2025 are set to start on September 5 and the event will join forces with the China Open tennis tournament to create a week of sporting events in Beijing, said officials at a 30-day countdown press conference for China Smash on Monday. 

Scheduled from September 25 to October 5 at Shougang Park in the capital's Shijingshan district, the top-flight table tennis event on the WTT calendar features the world's top-ranked men and women in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles events. Shougang Park was the venue for the big air events of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. 

The China Open tennis tournament will take place from September 14 to October 5 at the Beijing's National Tennis Center.  

From venue conditions and facility setup to service standards, this year's China Smash will see comprehensive upgrades in service and ­support to better meet the needs of both athletes and spectators, while maximizing the amplifying effect of hosting both major events together, Zhang Zhaohui, an official with the Beijing ­Municipal Bureau of Sport, said at the press conference.

Meanwhile, a WTT China Youth Smash will be inaugurated from October 3 to 5 at Shougang Park. The competition features two age groups, U15 and U19, with the aim to strengthen the development of young talent and provide young players with a platform to compete against top-level athletes, according to Zhang. The youth tournament will be open to the public free of charge. 

This year, the Shougang Ice Hockey Arena has been expanded from three-sided to four-sided stands, increasing spectator capacity by 10 percent. The arena now has a total of 5,400 seats, said Zhong Mianmian, a deputy head of Shijingshan District People's Government. 

Starting from September 28, Shougang Park will host "player meet-and-greet" sessions, during which fans will have the chance to interact closely with participating athletes, according to the press conference. 

In addition to the table tennis event, ticket holders can also take part in the China International Candy Season at Shougang Park and enjoy exclusive discounts at many popular shopping areas across the capital city, Zhong said. The international candy season is one of the supporting events of the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services. 

To promote the integration of the tournament with cultural, commercial and tourism resources, the Shijingshan Amusement Park will also launch a lantern night tour during the tournament, Zhong added. 

China Smash is expected to attract top players and fans from around the globe, with a total prize pool of $2,050,000 and 2,000 ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking points for each champion. 

Qin Zhijian, a vice chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, said that the Chinese national team will field its strongest lineup for this home tournament.

China's table tennis players Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin headline the men's singles entry list that also features Hugo Calderano of Brazil, Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan and Truls Moregard of Sweden, who just took the WTT Europe Smash title after a thrilling win over Lin on Sunday.

World's top five ranked athletes including Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu will play in the women's singles. In 2024 at Shougang, Sun defeated Wang to win the title.

In 2024, Beijing was awarded the hosting rights for the WTT China Smash from 2024 to 2028. In 2024, the tournament attracted 241 athletes from 50 countries and regions, with nearly 73,000 spectators attending the matches, the Xinhua News Agency reported.