Wang Chuqin Photo: VCG

The 2025 WTT US Smash singles finals took place on Sunday evening, with Zhu Yuling, representing the Macao Special Administrative Region, defeating Chinese dark horse Chen Yi 4-2 to claim her first career Smash women's singles title, while Wang Chuqin stormed past longtime rival Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan 4-0 to secure the men's singles crown.

The inaugural Smash event held in Las Vegas, the US concluded with Team China taking home three titles and two runner-up finishes. In addition to the singles triumphs, Lin Shidong and Kuai Man won the mixed doubles, while Wang Yidi/Kuai Man and Sun Yingsha/Wang Manyu secured the women's doubles gold and silver respectively.

In the women's singles final, Chen came out strong, winning the first two games. Zhu gradually adapted to Chen's playing style from the third game onward, fighting back to level the score at 2-2. Although the match grew increasingly intense, Zhu's greater experience and Chen's untimely errors saw Zhu's lock in the victory 4-2.

On the men's side, the final was less contested than anticipated. Despite Harimoto's efforts to vary his tactics, Wang maintained control throughout, sweeping all four games and claiming his 14th career win over the Japanese star.

Speaking after his win, Wang said his best performance came during the round of 16, although he admitted there were flaws in his other matches. 

"This tournament helped me clearly see what I still need to work on. I need to go back and reflect thoroughly. The initial discomfort with the tables and venue was ironed out match by match," Wang said. 

He also attributed his victory to maintaining a steady mindset. "I felt relieved once I won. Now I can finally take a break. This event was great. The next one will be even better," he said.

Zhu, reflecting on her emotional comeback, said after the women's singles final that both of them gave it our all in the finals. "I hope everyone gives Chen a round of applause. Returning to the court felt like a dream, and it still does. I hope this dream never ends. The 2025 WTT US Smash has been an extraordinary experience. I'm grateful for the applause given to every athlete."

"This shows the difference between a player in their prime and one who has fought back after illness," Wang Dazhao, a sports commentator based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Monday, noting the contrasting mindsets behind Wang's and Zhu's victories were striking. 

"In recent years, it's been rare to see a men's and women's singles final with such storylines: Wang continues to hold an edge over Harimoto, while the clash between young Chen and the former world No.1 brings fresh possibilities for women's table tennis," Wang said.

This marks 30-year-old Zhu's first WTT main tour title since retiring from China's national team four years ago due to thyroid cancer. Zhu now also serves as an associate professor at the Tianjin University. Over the past two years, she has spearheaded the development of an advanced elective table tennis course, established a training studio, and built a multi-level campus tournament system.

She once shared that returning to competition felt essential, saying that the landscape of table tennis has completely changed, but it feels even harder not to play. She just wanted to update her technique and understanding of the sport to see what level she can still reach.

Zhu said that her students and the university have given her confidence and courage. "Looking ahead, whatever choices I make - whether to compete or not, win or lose - I'll stay calm, because none of it will change or affect the life I want to live."