China's Women's Team: Reading the Status of the Five Biggest Rivals
Before, we discussed the men’s F6 most threatening to our national team. At this Chongqing Champions, in women’s singles, our team regrettably took runner-up. Taking the chance, with vigilance in peace, let us analyze the women’s overseas F5. Let us see which players threaten most, and their tactical traits.
Miwa Harimoto
Gear: Tomokazu Harimoto SALC, D09c, D05. Recent results: 2026 Chongqing Champions champion; 2025 Frankfurt Champions runner-up; 2025 Incheon Champions final four. Miwa Harimoto won several challenge titles over the past year, but at slightly bigger events, was often pre-empted by Wang Manyu. At this Chongqing Champions women’s singles final, she beat Kuai Man 4-3, playing more actively and proactively, with more nerve at key moments. Besides singles, she has strong doubles ability too. Days ago at the Singapore Smash, partnering Nina Hayata, she won women’s doubles. Her form this year is decent, also winning the All-Japan Championships women’s singles. For the next decade, she is a strong rival. She serves short to the opponent’s middle-toward-forehand, plus fast long balls to the backhand and middle. Especially the latter, Miwa Harimoto serves very often. Long balls opening the way became a high-proportion part — starting rallies directly from topspin, no transition, fully showing her speed advantage.
Nina Hayata
Gear: Nina Hayata H2, NEO blue national Hurricane, Z03. Recent results: 2025 Frankfurt Champions champion. She plays small events well, including some challenges and the Japan Championships, winning titles and runner-ups. But her big-match showing over the past year is average, maybe injury-related. Also, national-team mains playing her now mostly have a certain win chance. She was once Japan’s women’s number one main; now the threat is not so big. But looking to the LA Olympics, she is still a key rival, with strong singles and doubles ability. Before, Nina Hayata’s backhand mainly used D09c; at this year’s All-Japan Championships, she used ZYRE-03. At the Singapore Smash, reportedly she switched to GENEXTION V2C — but unconfirmed.
Satsuki Odo
Gear: Tomokazu Harimoto SZLC, Z03, D09c. Recent results: 2026 Chongqing Champions final four. At last year’s Europe Smash, partnering Miwa Harimoto, she took women’s doubles runner-up, losing the final 2-3 to Sun Yingsha/Wang Manyu. The Japan women’s team is also focusing on the pairwise doubles combinations of these three: Miwa Harimoto, Nina Hayata and Satsuki Odo. Likewise, Satsuki Odo is also the 2025 Worlds mixed-doubles runner-up. At this Chongqing Champions, she beat Wang Manyu and Chen Yi, showing big progress. Beating Manyu, though her serve combined long and short, the hook fast-long serve was used very much. Then in rallies, Satsuki Odo’s ball is fast and punchy. Simply, long balls opening the way, an expansive style. She escaped the over-the-table tangle with Wang Manyu as much as possible, simplifying her play.
Sabine Winter
Gear: Andro Novacore OFF/S, NUZN 55, Dr. Neubauer anti-loop ABS 3 Pro. Recent results: 2026 Singapore Smash final four; 2026 Europe Cup champion; 2025 Montpellier Champions runner-up. Before switching the backhand to anti-loop, she glued the tensor inverted Andro R53. After switching to anti-loop, she added some four-side-attack strokes, instantly renewed. I have to say this style remold was simply too successful. Her forehand was mighty and heavy to begin with, with strong ability, but her backhand was not so stable; now it is all complete, with more backhand variation.
Shin Yu-bin
Gear: Hurricane Shin Yu-bin, NEO blue national Hurricane, NEO orange national Hurricane. Recent results: 2025 Frankfurt Champions final four; 2025 Montpellier Champions final four; 2025 China Smash final four. Strong in mixed and women’s doubles. At year-end Hong Kong finals, partnering Lim Jonghoon, she beat Sun Yingsha/Wang Chuqin in the mixed-doubles final. In women’s singles, she is improving too. Recently against Wang Manyu and Wang Yidi, she brought no small trouble. Though rarely topping the podium, these years she is around world top ten — only 21, with much room to improve.