Hina Hayata Falls Short of Consecutive Medals — What the World Championships Loss Revealed About Japan’s Ace

The World Table Tennis Championships (individual events), held from May 17 to 25 in Doha, Qatar, crowned the world’s top players. Hina Hayata (24), who won a bronze medal at the previous tournament in Durban, South Africa, was eliminated in the women’s singles quarterfinals.

Having solidified her position as the core player of the Japanese team, Hayata is still dealing with the lingering effects of an injury to her left arm suffered at the Paris Olympics. It took about three months for her to return to the court, and even after her comeback, she’s been searching for what she can do now, admitting “I can’t return to how I was before.”

For Hayata, this World Table Tennis Championships could be seen as a tournament to assess her current condition.

In the first round, she achieved a straight-sets victory over Adina Diaconu (25), making a smooth start. Alongside her trademark powerful, aggressive playing style, she showed improvements in her tactical approach, such as varying her serves during matches and adjusting her shot placement based on her opponent’s moves.

A glimpse of Hayata’s current form emerged from the fourth round onward. In the match against world No. 23 Shi Xunyao (23), she took the first game, but the Chinese player tightened her rally consistency and took the second and third games, forcing Hayata to respond.

Hayata switched to a hook serve mid-way through the third game while trailing and shifted her receiving strategy to using chiquita backhand flicks to earn points — an early tactical adjustment.

By building points through deep pushes followed by powerful smashes, Hayata took advantage of her strengths, retaking control of the match. She claimed three games in a row to secure a 4–2 comeback victory and advanced to the quarterfinals.

The battle for spots at the Los Angeles Olympics is fiercely competitive

In the quarterfinals, where a second consecutive medal was at stake, her opponent was Chen Xingtong (28). With rally stability and precision on both hands ranking among the very best in China, Hayata had never won in their previous three encounters. This match would test the current strength of Hayata against the world No. 3 powerhouse.

As fierce rallies unfolded, Chen Xingtong immediately targeted Hayata’s middle area from the first game, trying to neutralize her strengths. There were moments when Hayata was forced away from the table, while Chen, holding her ground, kept firing sharp shots without losing her position.

Although Hayata also had moments where she took the initiative, the high-level exchanges weren’t enough to break down her opponent’s solid defense. She ultimately lost in straight games, 0-4, finishing the tournament in the top 8.

Considering concerns over her injury, reaching the quarterfinals by utilizing her accumulated skills and tactics can be considered a passing grade.

For Hayata, who’s aiming for gold at the Los Angeles Olympics, a crucial factor will be the event changes introduced at the next Games. The traditional men’s and women’s team events were discontinued, with a mixed team event added, alongside the revival of men’s and women’s doubles for the first time since the 2004 Athens Olympics. Hayata described this path to the Los Angeles Games as “Season 2,” and adapting to these new formats will be key.

At this World Table Tennis Championships, Miwa Harimoto (16) and Satsuki Odo (21) competed in three events each. Harimoto claimed a bronze medal in women’s doubles with Miyuu Kihara (20), while Odo won silver in mixed doubles with Maharu Yoshimura (31), both reaching the singles quarterfinals while juggling multiple events.

Moreover, Mima Ito (24), Hayata’s peer, signaled her comeback with a singles bronze medal — meaning Hayata’s position is by no means unshakable.

At the Doha World Championships, where she sought a second consecutive medal, Hayata’s singles run ended in the top eight. After experiencing the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 24-year-old southpaw ace enters a new phase in her career — and her challenge continues.