2027 Table Tennis World Championships
By David Chelly, January 22, 2026
The Table Tennis World Championships are one of the major events of the international season, with particular intensity in singles and doubles. The 2027 edition follows on from the World Championships Finals organized under the ITTF, in a compact format that puts the best players under pressure from the very first rounds.
Dates and location
The ITTF has awarded the organization of the 2027 World Championships to Astana, Kazakhstan. The exact dates and competition venue are published by the ITTF as official announcements and the international calendar are confirmed. For reference, the last edition held before 2027 took place in Doha, Qatar, from May 17 to 25, 2025.
Events and format
The program includes five events: men's singles and doubles, women's singles and doubles, and mixed doubles. Matches are played in a single-elimination format, which makes for a very clear-cut tournament — one slip and you're out immediately, and a good draw is never enough without consistency across the whole week.
Who takes part
Participants come from national federations affiliated with the ITTF. Quotas and qualification methods are based on sporting and administrative criteria, with selection relying in particular on rankings and participation rules set by the international governing body. In practice, the field brings together the world elite, and upsets often come from playing styles that are hard to read or from form on a given week.
Records and history
The World Championships have a century of history, and the records reflect very different eras. In men's singles, Viktor Barna remains the historic benchmark with five titles. On the women's side, Mária Mednyánszky marked the early years of the competition with a dominant run, while the modern era has seen champions build continuity across several editions, such as Ma Long, crowned three times in a row in singles.
How to follow the competition
For fans, the most reliable approach is to follow the schedule, brackets and live results via official platforms, then supplement with broadcasters and streaming offers depending on the country. The World Table Tennis YouTube channel and the ITTF's official channels also serve as outlets for highlights, recaps and player content.