As the inaugural WTT US Smash lights up Las Vegas, it is impossible not to look back at the moment that changed everything for table tennis in America. Just four years ago in 2021, Houston made history as the first city in the Americas to host the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships – and what an unforgettable week it was.
The George R. Brown Convention Centre became the epicentre of a table tennis revolution that nobody saw coming. More than 26,000 spectators packed the stands, creating an atmosphere like never before at a World Championships before. The distinctive American sports presentation brought a new energy to the tournament, proving that table tennis could capture hearts and minds in the world’s largest sports market.
China dominated the championships with stellar performances across multiple events. Fan Zhendong claimed the men’s singles World Championship title, while Wang Manyu captured women’s singles gold. In doubles action, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha outplayed their Japanese rivals in the Mixed Doubles finals, while Wang Manyu and Sun Yingsha retained their Women’s Doubles title, also against Japan.
Sweden’s Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson claimed the Men’s Doubles crown. Falck and Karlsson were the first Swedish world champions in the event since Peter Karlsson and Thomas von Scheele’s triumph in May 1991, a few months before Falck (September) and Karlsson (August) were even born.
But the story that captured American hearts was Kanak Jha becoming the first American man to reach a World Championships singles quarterfinal since 1959. Lifted by thunderous cheers from his home crowd and playing on Thanksgiving Day, Jha’s breakthrough run showed what was possible when world-class table tennis met passionate American support.
The tournament also showcased international collaboration through two remarkable Chinese-American mixed doubles partnerships. Jha teamed with Wang Manyu whilst Lin Gaoyuan paired with Lily Zhang. These cross-continental pairings, formed just a week before competition, demonstrated the unifying power of sport.
Lin and Zhang went on to win bronze, proving particularly symbolic on the 50th year of Ping Pong Diplomacy and highlighting how table tennis continues to build bridges between nations.
Houston proved that America was ready for world-class table tennis. With 19 million recreational players already in the country, the Championships revealed the massive untapped potential waiting to be unleashed. The 236 volunteers who gave their time – even on Thanksgiving Day – showed the community spirit that makes American sports special.
That ITTF World Championships 2021 was the catalyst for American table tennis’s sprint toward WTT US Smash and Los Angeles 2028. The success in Texas proved that America was hungry for world-class table tennis, leading directly to the strategic decision to bring the first-ever WTT Grand Smash to American soil.
Now, as the bright lights of Las Vegas host the inaugural US Smash, the momentum from Houston has evolved into a comprehensive mission. With just three years until the Olympics return to American soil, every event on US territory serves a dual purpose: showcasing the world’s best players while building the foundation for LA28.
The path from Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Centre to the Olympic venues of Los Angeles runs directly through Las Vegas. Every packed crowd, every breakthrough performance, every new American fan discovered in Vegas brings the sport closer to its ultimate goal: making table tennis unmissable when the world’s attention turns to LA28.