Japan’s Miwa Harimoto and Sweden’s Truls Möregårdh were crowned women’s and men’s singles champions, respectively, at the WTT Champions Macao 2026 in the East Asian Games Dome in Cotai last night, with both players highlighting their determination and the support of the crowd after their victories.
WTT stands for “World Table Tennis”.
Harimoto garnered the title after a close match to defeat the Chinese mainland’s Chen Yi 4-3 (11-7,11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 11-13, 11-9, 12-10), while Möregårdh won the men’s singles title with a 4-1 victory (11-7, 11-9, 3-11, 11-8, 11-9) over Brazil’s Hugo Calderano.
Harimoto secured her third consecutive WTT Champions title after overcoming a difficult final, describing the match as one she had expected to lose before fighting through it one point at a time.
“I literally thought I was going to lose, but I’m very happy that I fought until the last on the court in this very arena, with one point and one shot at a time,” Harimoto said after the match. The Japanese player said she had struggled to believe she could win after repeatedly finding herself behind during the contest, including in the sixth game when her opponent took the early advantage.
“I thought it was impossible to win today, but I was lucky to be able to play one game at a time and to be able to play until the end,” she noted.
The victory marked Harimoto’s third WTT Champions title in succession. Harimoto said she had not expected to achieve the feat, adding that her original target for the year had simply been to win more than one champions event. “To be honest, I didn’t think I would win three times in a row,” she said, adding that “to be able to win three times in a row, I’m very proud of myself.”
Harimoto added that the Macau final was particularly memorable because of the battle she had endured throughout the match.
Meanwhile, Möregårdh credited his older brother and coach, Malte Möregårdh, and his parents for helping him through a difficult period before the tournament. “I wasn’t believing in myself the whole tournament. It’s a big thanks to Malte as a coach,” Moregard said.
The Swedish player also singled out the crowd’s support throughout the tournament, pointing out that spectators had backed him from his opening match and that the atmosphere had helped him enjoy the occasion: “Today was fantastic. I always enjoy playing big matches and with this many people, I’m so happy to play table tennis.”
Japan’s Miwa Harimoto (right) and Sweden’s Truls Möregårdh pose with their tropies after being crowned women’s and men’s singles champions at the WTT Champions Macao 2026 in the East Asian Games Dome in Cotai last night. – Photo: Khalel Vallo
