WTT Finals: who qualifies and how the season finale works
The WTT Finals close the WTT pro tour season. The top 16 singles players in each draw and the top 8 mixed doubles pairs qualify through their points from that year's WTT events. Singles is a straight knockout with no bronze match, and the singles champion earns 1,500 world ranking points.
In this article
Every December, the professional table tennis season ends with a short, stacked event: the WTT Finals. There is no qualifying and no first-round mismatch against someone outside the top 100. You only get in if you played well all year.
Here is who qualifies for the WTT Finals, how the draw works and what the title is worth.
What are the WTT Finals?
The WTT Finals are the season finale of WTT, the pro tour created by the ITTF. The first edition was in Singapore in 2021 under the name WTT Cup Finals. In 2023 it was renamed the WTT Finals.
The idea is the same as season-ending events in other sports, like tennis's ATP Finals: reward consistency over the year and put the best players together for a few days of top matches.
Who qualifies for the WTT Finals?
Spots do not come from the regular world ranking but from a separate standings table for the WTT season. It counts results from that year's tour events, such as the Grand Smashes, WTT Champions and Contenders.
| Event | Field |
|---|---|
| Men's singles | 16 players |
| Women's singles | 16 players |
| Mixed doubles | 8 pairs |
The host can get a wild card, and the fine print (how many events count, tiebreaks, withdrawals) is in each season's WTT regulations. That is why the final list often changes in the last weeks, when an injured player withdraws and the next player in the standings takes the spot.
How the draw works
In singles, the WTT Finals are a straight knockout of 16 players: round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final. Lose once and you are out. There is no group stage and no third-place match.
Because only the elite get in, the first round already features matchups that would be finals elsewhere. In mixed doubles, WTT has used two groups of four pairs, with the top two in each group moving on to the semifinals. Curious about the pros and cons of each system? See table tennis tournament formats.
What the WTT Finals are worth
The singles champion earns 1,500 points in the world ranking, less than a Grand Smash (2,000) and more than a WTT Champions event (1,000). Prize money per player is among the highest on tour, since the field is so small.
WTT Finals host cities
| Year | Host | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Singapore | Still called WTT Cup Finals |
| 2022 | Xinxiang, China | WTT Cup Finals |
| 2023 | Doha (men) and Nagoya (women) | First under the WTT Finals name |
| 2024 | Fukuoka, Japan | |
| 2025 | Hong Kong | |
| 2026 | Hong Kong | Scheduled for December |
China's Fan Zhendong and Sun Yingsha won the first edition in 2021. After that, Wang Chuqin won three men's titles in a row from 2022 to 2024, a good example of how the event rewards a strong, consistent season.
Why the WTT Finals matter
For fans, it is a few days of nothing but top-level matches. For players, it is the reward for a whole season and a showcase. For players from outside the traditional powers, simply qualifying is a sign of a great year. Brazil's Hugo Calderano has played the event more than once; see Hugo Calderano.
Frequently asked questions
What are the WTT Finals?
The season-ending event of the WTT tour, with the top 16 singles players in each draw and the top 8 mixed doubles pairs of the year.
How do players qualify for the WTT Finals?
Through the WTT season standings, which add up results from that year's Grand Smashes, Champions and Contender events. The host may get a wild card.
Is there a bronze medal match at the WTT Finals?
No. Singles is a 16-player straight knockout, and the two losing semifinalists do not play for third.
How many ranking points is the WTT Finals worth?
The singles champion gets 1,500 world ranking points.
Where are the 2026 WTT Finals?
In Hong Kong in December 2026, the same host as in 2025.