WTT Brazil Star Contender: Calderano and Miwa Harimoto Aim for Title Defense
The WTT Star Contender São José dos Campos 2026 is set to take place from July 21st to 26th, and the player lineup has been announced. Last year’s champions, Hugo Calderano of Brazil and Miwa Harimoto of Japan, will return to the Infinity ∞ Arena to defend their titles. 
In the 2025 WTT Star Contender Foz do Iguaçu, Calderano showcased his prowess by defeating top players such as Benedikt Duda of Germany, Oh Junsung of Korea, and Yukiya Uda of Japan to claim the men’s singles title. These players will also compete in the upcoming São José dos Campos event. 
The highlight of the tournament is expected to be the final match between top-seeded Calderano and second-seeded Duda. Calderano led 2-0 and 3-1 before Duda tied the match and forced a decisive seventh game. Calderano ultimately emerged victorious in front of his passionate home crowd. 
Other notable players attending include Alexis Lebrun of France, ranked 11th in the world, Darko Jorgic of Slovenia, the champion of the 2026 WTT Contender Skopje, Japanese players Shunsuke Togami, and German veteran Patrick Franziska. 
Miwa Harimoto aims to replicate her performance from last year in South America and will lead a strong field of women’s singles competitors. Miyu Nagasaki, who lost to Harimoto in last year’s final, will also participate, along with other top Japanese players such as Satsuki Odo, Hina Hayata, and Honoka Hashimoto, who are among the highest-ranked players in the women’s singles draw. 
Bruna Takahashi, Calderano’s girlfriend and Brazil’s top female player, hopes to create an upset and win her first WTT series title in front of her home crowd. Representing the Americas are also Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico, Lily Zhang of the USA, and Daniela Ortega of Chile. 
Coinciding with the WTT event, the first stage of the 2026 Chinese Table Tennis Super League regular season will be held in Dalian, Liaoning Province, from July 23rd to 26th. 
