Table tennis arrived at Copper Box Arena this week, as one of the venues set to host the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 welcomed competitive action for WTT Star Contender London 2025.
In 1926, London hosted the inaugural World Table Tennis Championships, marking the birth of both the event and the International Table Tennis Federation itself. One hundred years later, the sport returns to its birthplace for a historic centenary celebration, and this week’s competition at Copper Box Arena offers a preview of the atmosphere English venues will deliver when the world’s best teams arrive in April 2026.
Home Stars Battle on Familiar Ground
Connor Green provided the shock of Thursday evening, stunning Chinese Taipei’s Feng Yi-Hsin, ranked 215 places higher at world number 55, with a sensational 3-1 (7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9) victory. Green’s triumph featured a remarkable fourth game comeback, rallying from 3-6 down to surge ahead 10-6 before holding his nerve to save three match points and seal one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. The Copper Box Arena erupted in celebration as the world number 270 completed one of his finest career victories on home soil.
English wildcard Samuel Walker also impressed, pushing Germany’s Kay Stumper to the limit before falling 3-1 (11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9) in the Men’s Singles Round of 64. Competing at a venue he could return to for the World Championships, Walker energised the crowd with a dominant third game, racing to a 10-2 lead before claiming it 11-7. Though Stumper ultimately prevailed in a tense fourth game decided at 9-9, Walker’s performance demonstrated the fighting spirit English players will bring when competing before home crowds at London 2026.
With England guaranteed a place as host nation at London 2026, Green, Walker and their compatriots are building towards a once-in-a-century opportunity to compete where the sport’s greatest journey began.
Tom Jarvis, fresh from his breakthrough Top 16 finish at the World Championships Finals in Doha earlier this year, is amongst the English contingent using this week’s competition to sharpen their skills on home soil. The Skegness native’s remarkable run in Doha—including a memorable victory over Germany’s Dang Qiu—announced his arrival on the world stage, and competing in London represents another step in his development ahead of the centenary celebration.
A Venue Ready for History
WTT Star Contender London continues through 26 October at Copper Box Arena, providing valuable preparation for a venue that will play a central role when the World Championships return to London. From 28 April to 10 May 2026, the sport will celebrate its centenary in the city where it all began—a homecoming 100 years in the making.
Continental championships across four continents have already determined 48 teams per gender for London 2026, with the remaining qualification spots to be decided through world rankings in November 2025.
[Check out which teams are heading to London 2026 →]
The stage is being set. London is ready. The centenary celebration awaits.
