São José dos Campos hosts world elite at WTT Star Contender Brasil 2026 By Thiago Lemos
3 min read
 |
The world’s table tennis elite will gather at São José of Campos to compete in the WTT Star Contender Brasil. The city in the interior of São Paulo was officially confirmed as the host of the tournament, which will take place between the 21st and 26th of July this year. The announcement moves the national sports community. Mais out of 80 international athletes are expected to participate in the competition. Ticket sales will begin in May.
The event is organized by World Table Tennis, in direct partnership with Confederação Brasileira of Tênis of Mesa. The disputes cover men’s and women’s singles, as well as men’s, women’s and mixed doubles. Esta is the fourth time that the country has hosted a stage at this level. Anteriormente, Janeiro’s Rio hosted in 2023 and 2024, while Iguaçu’s Foz hosted athletes in 2025. Brasil consolidates its position in the official calendar.
Atletas Brazilians seek to repeat recent achievements at home
The country is going through a phase of technical rise and popularity in the sport, driven by significant results from its main exponents. Hugo Calderano, current number 5 in the world rankings and runner-up in the world, is Campos’s main podium hope in São José. Last year, the table tennis player won the national stage title in Foz from Iguaçu by beating the German Benedikt Duda. The connection with the local public has been a differentiator highlighted by the players.
- Hugo Calderano: 5th place in the world rankings and current champion of the Brazilian stage.
- Bruna Takahashi: 23rd position in the women’s singles ranking.
- Calendário: Partidas scheduled for the period from July 21 to 26, 2026.
- Local: Complexo São José sporty Campos, São Paulo interior.
- Ingressos: Comercialização available from next May.
Bruna Takahashi highlights the growth of the sport in the national territory
Table tennis player Bruna Takahashi reinforced the importance of decentralizing international events in the country. Atualmente in 23rd position in the world rankings, she believes that holding the tournament in the interior of São Paulo expands the reach of the sport. The interest of the Brazilian public has grown consistently in recent Olympic cycles. The player hopes that the fans will turn out in force to create a favorable atmosphere for the hosts.
Recentemente, Brasil achieved another behind-the-scenes victory relevant to the sports sector. The Rio of Janeiro was chosen as the headquarters of the Mundial of Tênis of Mesa of 2029, a decision that endorses Brazilian logistics capacity. The sequence of major events in the country serves as preparation for the athletes and also for the organization. The technical level required on an Star Contender is equivalent to the Europa and Ásia open majors.
Expectativa audience and infrastructure for the July tournament
The city hall of São José of Campos and the organizers are working on the final adjustments of the infrastructure that will receive table tennis players from different continents. The gym will undergo technical adaptations to meet the lighting and flooring requirements of the international federation. The logistics involve not only the playing area, but warm-up and recovery areas for the professionals. Hotéis in the region are already registering an increase in demand for the competition period.
Fans will be able to follow the best players in the world up close during the six days of activities. The expectation is that Star Contender will generate a positive economic impact on the city’s services sector. Brazilian table tennis is experiencing its greatest media and technical exposure in history. The confirmation of the headquarters is a strategic step to maintain the pace of development of the sport.
