Hugo Calderano returns to third place in the world rankings after shining at WTT Champions By Thiago Lemos
5 min read
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Hugo Calderano consolidated another historic step for Brazilian sport by reaching third place in the men’s table tennis world rankings. The update was officially released by Federação Internacional of Tênis of Mesa (ITTF) on Monday, March 16, 2026, reflecting the athlete’s recent performance on the international circuit. The table tennis player from Rio now has 6,080 points, placing him just behind the Chinese Wang Chuqin and the Swedish Truls Moregard in the global elite of the sport.
Calderano’s rise in the ranking comes after a series of consistent results on Chinese soil, specifically in the WTT Champions of Chongqing. The Brazilian demonstrated a high technical level by reaching the quarterfinals, where he faced the French Félix Lebrun in a match decided only in the tiebreaker set. Mesmo with his early elimination from the tournament, the points accumulated were enough for him to surpass direct opponents and return to the group of the three best in the world.
- The Brazilian has 11 wins and just four defeats in 15 matches played in the current 2026 season.
- Calderano has already won the ITTF Americas Cup title this year, reaffirming his hegemony on the continent.
- In mixed doubles, alongside Bruna Takahashi, the athlete occupies fourth place in the world after winning the title in Singapore Smash.
Technical rise and international hegemony
The return to the world top 3 reinforces Hugo Calderano’s status as the biggest name in the history of table tennis in the Américas and one of the rare athletes to break Asian sovereignty. Desde November 2018, the Rio native does not leave the group of the ten best players in the world, maintaining a regularity that impresses experts and opponents. The current score reflects not only technical performance at the table, but a physical and mental strategy that allows the athlete to compete at high performance on multiple continents.
This new positioning is fundamental for the selection of future competitions, as being seeded in the top four avoids clashes against the leaders in the initial rounds. The Brazilian has demonstrated constant evolution in his backhand and serve variation, elements that have been decisive in overcoming Chinese and European opponents in recent months. Stability in the ranking is seen by the technical committee as the necessary foundation for the search for new titles in tournaments at level Grand Smash and in the next Copa of Mundo.
Performance on WTT Champions of Chongqing
The campaign at China was marked by significant victories that helped pave the way back to the ITTF world rankings podium. In the debut of the tournament in Chongqing, the Brazilian beat the Chinese Chen Yuanyu by 3 sets to 2, demonstrating resilience after coming up behind on the scoreboard. In the next round, he overcame the Croatian Tomislav Pucar with authority, guaranteeing his place among the competition’s top eight and securing vital points for the weekly classification.
In the quarterfinals, the clash against Félix Lebrun was considered one of the best of the season due to the intensity of the ball exchanges and tactical balance. Calderano led the score by 3 sets to 1, but ended up suffering a comeback from the young Frenchman, who has become one of his main rivals on the circuit. Apesar After the bitter defeat in the tie-break, the Brazilian’s overall performance was praised by the international press for the aggressiveness shown in decisive moments of the game.
Competition calendar and upcoming goals
The next big challenge for the third best player in the world will be the defense of the title in Copa of Mundo of Tênis of Mesa, scheduled to take place in Macau. Hugo Calderano enters the competition as one of the favorites and will seek a second title to consolidate its position and try to get closer to second place in the ranking, currently occupied by Truls Moregard. Intensive preparation will continue at the training center in Ochsenhausen, at Alemanha, where the athlete resides and trains with high-level European sparring partners.
In addition to individual competitions, the focus is also on the Grand Smash events, which offer the highest points and prizes on the WTT circuit. The athlete plans to participate in tournaments in the Tunísia and Estados Unidos in the coming months to maintain the pace of the game and test new tactical variations against opponents in the top 20. Maintaining physical fitness is the priority of the multidisciplinary team accompanying the Brazilian, aiming to avoid injuries in a calendar full of travel and high-intensity games.
Significant results in the 2026 season
The consistency of Calderano in 2026 is evidenced by the success of over 70% in the games played, which keeps it as a constant threat to the Chinese leaders. At the beginning of February, the undefeated title at Copa América served as fuel for the sequence of tournaments at Ásia, where the level of difficulty is considerably higher. The Brazilian proved that he can adapt his playing style to both humid environments and different altitudes, a crucial factor for success on the world circuit.
- Victory against Wang Chuqin at the end of 2025 impacted Brazilians’ confidence for this year.
- Conquest of ITTF Americas Cup in February 2026 with absolute dominance over continental rivals.
- Quarterfinals in the WTT Champions of Chongqing, adding fundamental points for the ranking.
- Historic mixed doubles title at Singapore Smash alongside Bruna Takahashi.
Isolated leadership in Américas
The point distance between Hugo Calderano and the second best table tennis player in Américas increased significantly after this latest ranking update. Enquanto the Brazilian is on the global podium, his continental pursuers are still struggling to enter or remain among the 30 best in the world. Essa disparity highlights the long-term work carried out by the athlete and Confederação Brasileira of Tênis of Mesa (CBTM) in the development of the sport in the country.
Training and technical support structure
The success of Calderano is the result of a professional structure that involves coaches, physical trainers and performance analysts focused on every detail of the game. The use of technology for video analysis of opponents has been a differentiator, allowing Brazilians to enter the court with personalized game plans for each style.
The support received at Alemanha provides the competitive environment necessary for it to continue evolving technically and face the best in the world on equal terms.
