Hina Hayata’s “Quick Attack” and “Tenacity” have been added!　First international tournament win since her comeback: “Next up: Defeat China! Go to

Winner at WTT Champions Frankfurt

As soon as the last ball hit the ground, the southpaw, who had suffered so much, raised his hands to the sky and wiped his tears from his eyes with his taped left arm.

On November 9, Hina Hayata (25, ranked 10th in the world) defeated Miwa Zhang (17, ranked 6th in the world) in a full set in the final of the WTT Champions Frankfurt to win her first international tournament since her return from injury.

Behind the victory over her rival, with whom she competed at the Paris Olympics and also played at the All-Japan Championships in January of this year, was a change in Hayata’s tactics after her full recovery. Table tennis columnist Jota Ito said, “Before, Hayata’s injury was not getting worse.

In the past, he seemed to have adopted a fast-attacking tactic, hitting strong balls early to prevent injuries from worsening, and avoiding prolonged battles.

This time, however, it was noticeable that he avoided hitting the ball early, and dared Zhang, who excels at backhands, to hit forehands. This is a tactic of countering the opening created by allowing the opponent to hit the ball hard first.

This tactic of “persistence” is the style of play that Hayata excelled at before his injury at the Olympics. This means that the Japanese ace has made a full recovery.

Although no Chinese players competed in this tournament, six leading Chinese players will appear in the “WTT Finals Hong Kong,” which starts on December 10. Winning or losing here will have a great impact on the world ranking.

The day is near when Hayata, who has returned to the world top 10 by freely manipulating his quick attack and tenacious style of play, will beat a number of Chinese players.

From the November 28 and December 5, 2025 issue of FRIDAY