ITTF Week 29 Ranking Movers: Matsushima Hits Career-Best No. 3, Taiwan's Huang Yu-Jie Breaks Into Top 50
The aftershocks of the 2026 WTT US Grand Smash continue rippling through the rankings: last year’s points for the same event have now expired, causing further movement in the top 10 and beyond.
Here are the notable Week 29 (July 13, 2026) ranking movers:
Matsushima Sora (JPN) — Men’s Singles No. 3 (+1, career best)
One week after winning the 2026 US Grand Smash men’s singles title, Matsushima Sora achieves another milestone. His victory was historic: he became the youngest ever WTT Grand Smash men’s singles champion, and just the second non-Chinese player to win at that level.
Sabine Winter (GER) — Women’s Singles No. 8 (+2, career best)
The fourth time Winter has set a new career high this year. The 33-year-old German veteran is having a strong season — her semi-final at the 2026 WTT Singapore Grand Smash is among her season highlights.
Alexis Kouraichi (FRA) — Men’s Singles No. 126 (+80, career best)
Kouraichi entered the 2026 WTT Contender Asuncion ranked 206th in the world and won his first WTT title, defeating top seed Leo De Nodrest in five games.
Huang Yu-Jie (TPE) — Women’s Singles No. 45 (+12, career best)
Taiwan’s Huang Yu-Jie won her first WTT title last weekend in Asuncion. The victory marks her first appearance inside the world’s top 50 — stunning rise from 530th in the world at the start of the 2025 season, the 23-year-old continues to climb.
Other notable movers: Félix Lebrun (FRA) Men’s No. 4 (+1), Shunsuke Togami (JPN) Men’s No. 14 (+1), Harimoto Miwa (JPN) Women’s No. 3 (+1), Kuai Man (CHN) Women’s No. 4 (+1).
The WTT Champions Yokohama 2026 is coming up soon, featuring defending champions Harimoto Tomokazu and Chen Xingtong, along with top seeds Félix Lebrun, Matsushima Sora, Shin Yubin, Hina Hayata, Zhu Yuling, and many more.