With the main table tennis season now complete following the WTT Finals, there is one last chance for the world's best to taste glory this year at the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024.
From 1–8 December, Chengdu in the People's Republic of China hosts 16 of the globe's top mixed teams to compete in the tournament's second edition following its introduction last year.
The exciting mixed team format, which sees teams win a match once its players have won eight games between them, proved a hit in 2023 as China won the inaugural contest. The hosts are once again favourites in 2024.
Here are some of the players to watch and how you can follow the action from this year's ITTF Mixed Team World Cup.
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Qualified teams and players to watch at 2024 ITTF Mixed Team World Cup
The top 16 mixed teams in the world as of 20 August qualified for the tournament, with at least one team from each continent.
Brazil and Nigeria, who qualified for the tournament ranked 11th and 16th respectively, both declined their invitations and were replaced by Canada and Poland, the top two teams on the reserve list.
Hosts China are top seeds, followed by Japan, the Republic of Korea, and France, who will all be kept apart in the first round. The Chinese have opted for a strong squad, despite Olympic champions Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng missing having ended their seasons early. World number one players Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha front the team, which also includes the world numbers two Lin Shidong and Wang Manyu.
However, Japan and France are each sending relatively more inexperienced teams, with their respective men's world numbers three and four, Harimoto Tomokazu and Félix Lebrun, not selected. Indeed, aside from the Chinese, the highest-ranked men's player competing is Republic of Korea's world number 14 Jang Woojin, while on the women's side it is Jang's compatriot Shin Yubin, ranked 11th.
On paper, that would make the Republic of Korea arguably the biggest challenge for the hosts, although in practice it is hard to look past the Chinese sweeping to a second straight title.
The other competing teams are Chinese Taipei, Sweden, India, Egypt, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong China, Romania, Singapore, Canada, USA, and Poland.
ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 format
The 16 teams will be drawn into four groups of four, from which the top two teams in each group will qualify for the second round-robin stage, which will feature all eight teams which progress.
The result of the first-round match between the qualified teams from each group will be carried over to the second stage. Unlike last year's inaugural contest, which used the second stage as the final round, this year's competition introduces a semi-final for the top four teams from the second stage, followed by a final.
Each team has named three or four men and three or four women to compete in the tournament, which will uniquely begin team matches with a mixed doubles tie before two singles rubbers (women followed by men). If necessary, women's and men's doubles rubbers will take place, with the order of the last two rubbers determined by the lower-ranked team's captain.
Each individual (singles or doubles) rubber match will only be played to three games, meaning all individual matches will result in a 3–0 or 2–1 result in games. Teams reaching eight games first will win the overall team match.
Full schedule of ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024
All times China Standard Time (UTC +8 hours).
Sunday 1 December
- 10:00 Opening ceremony
- Not before 11:00 Group stage 1, round 1
- Not before 13:00 Group stage 1, round 1
- Not before 17:00 Group stage 1, round 1
- Not before 19:00 Group stage 1, round 1
Monday 2 December
- 10:00 Group stage 1, round 2
- Not before 12:00 Group stage 1, round 2
- Not before 17:00 Group stage 1, round 2
- Not before 19:00 Group stage 1, round 2
Tuesday 3 December
- 10:00 Group stage 1, round 3
- Not before 12:00 Group stage 1, round 3
- Not before 17:00 Group stage 1, round 3
- Not before 19:00 Group stage 1, round 3
Wednesday 4 December
- 13:00 Stage 2, round 1
- Not before 19:00 Stage 2, round 1
Thursday 5 December
- 10:00 Stage 2, round 2
- Followed by (12:00) Stage 2, round 2
- Not before 17:00 Stage 2, round 3
- Not before 19:00 Stage 2, round 3
Friday 6 December
- 13:00 Stage 2, round 4
- Not before 19:00 Stage 2, round 4
Saturday 7 December
- 10:00 Stage 2, round 5
- Followed by (12:00) Stage 2, round 5
- Not before 17:00 Stage 2, round 6
- Not before 19:00 Stage 2, round 6
Sunday 8 December
- 10:00 Semi-final 1
- Followed by (12:00) Semi-final 2
- Not before 17:00 Bronze medal match
- Not before 19:00 Final
How to watch ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 live
The ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 can be watched and streamed live through the ITTF's broadcast partners.
In host country China, CCTV will broadcast and stream the event from Chengdu.
Check local listings elsewhere.
