"Table tennis powerhouse" China seems unwilling to easily accept defeat. Critics argued that if not for Sun Yingsha's injury, she and Wang Chuqin would not have lost to Im Jonghun (Korea Exchange (KRX))–Shin Yubin (Korean Air).
The mixed doubles flagship pair Im Jonghun–Shin Yubin demolished China's Wang Chuqin–Sun Yingsha 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-6) in the mixed doubles final of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Finals 2025 held in Hong Kong on the 13th (Korea time), rising as the tournament's inaugural champion.
It was an especially meaningful victory because it was the WTT finals. The WTT Finals is a "tournament of champions" that invites only the top 16 players (men's and women's singles) and eight pairs (mixed doubles) based on aggregated results from the Grand Smash, Champions, and Contender events over the year. Mixed doubles was introduced this time for the first time.
On that stage, Korean table tennis reached the highest peak. Until now no Korean player had even set foot on a final stage, but Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin achieved the historic feat of reaching the final for the first time and winning the gold medal. It is another achievement by the two following their mixed doubles bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics last year.
Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin finally overcame the wall of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, which had seemed like the Great Wall. Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha are powerhouses who boast the world No. 1 rankings in men's and women's singles, respectively. Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin had met them and lost consecutively at the Paris Olympics last year and at the Doha world championships semifinals this year. Their head-to-head record was 0-6 before the match.
But the final was different. Im Jonghun–Shin Yubin achieved a straight-sets 3-0 victory, succeeding on their seventh try after six losses. It was all the more valuable because a gold medal was at stake. Wang Chuqin–Sun Yingsha had gone 18 months without a loss, but their international winning streak stopped at 29 when they were upset by Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin.
As befits a final, a tight battle unfolded from game one. At 9-9 in the first game, Im Jonghun attacked to reach game point, and Wang Chuqin's error gave them the lead. In the second game they led 9-4 but conceded four straight points to allow a comeback to 9-8, then scored consecutively to take a 2-0 lead in games.
Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin did not lose focus until the end. They trailed 3-4 early in the third game but quickly turned it around to 6-5. At 10-6, Wang Chuqin's attack went off the table, securing the victory for Im Jonghun–Shin Yubin. Earlier that day they had beaten the mixed doubles world No. 1 Lin Shidong–Kuai Man (China) 3-1 in the semifinals, defeating Chinese table tennis twice in one day.
Shin Yubin was not in peak condition. She injured her knee at last week's International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Cup mixed team event and was unable to play the second stage.
But she flew at this tournament. Shin Yubin and Im Jonghun finished all three group-stage matches with 3-0 game scores, and by beating Chinese pairs in the semifinals and final they succeeded in writing a new chapter in Korean table tennis history.
By contrast, Sun Yingsha was not in good physical condition. She had twisted her ankle and withdrawn from the women's singles about 80 minutes before the mixed doubles final. Even so, Sun Yingsha battled on with bandaged ankles, but her movement was inevitably limited. As a result, Wang Chuqin–Sun Yingsha suffered their first defeat in 18 months, ending their 30-match winning streak.
China's NetEase, Inc. lamented, "Before the match, Wang Chuqin repeatedly urged Sun Yingsha to 'take good care of her legs.' He was especially worried that her habit of saving shots might worsen the injury," adding, "Sun Yingsha's ankle injury affected her movement. Wang Chuqin repeatedly tried to reduce the running burden on Sun Yingsha and help his partner as much as possible, but they lost."
There were warm scenes after the match. Knowing about Sun Yingsha's injury, Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin held back their celebrations immediately after winning, then approached their opponents to exchange hugs and handshakes. Shin Yubin even patted Sun Yingsha's shoulder to ask about her injury. Wang Chuqin–Sun Yingsha also smiled and congratulated Im Jonghun–Shin Yubin on the podium.
However, within China there seemed to be reluctance to accept Wang Chuqin–Sun Yingsha's defeat. The view was that they did not lose by skill but only because of the effects of an injury.
NetEase, Inc. tried to belittle Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin's victory, saying, "Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin, who won their first career title at the WTT Finals final, did not perform a victory ceremony after the match because they knew they could never have won had it not been for Sun Yingsha's injury."
They also boldly predicted that Wang Chuqin–Sun Yingsha would beat Im Jonghun–Shin Yubin 3-0 at the upcoming 2026 Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games. With Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin finally getting their first win, the mixed doubles rivalry between Korean and Chinese table tennis will attract more attention starting with next year's Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games, the 2026 world championships, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
But Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin showed consideration for the Chinese players even in interviews. Im Jonghun said, "Not everyone was in good condition. Yubin was not, and Sun Yingsha was injured. Wang Chuqin must be tired from many matches, but I'm grateful that every player fought until the end," adding, "I thank Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha for playing professionally. I'm also very grateful to Yubin."
Shin Yubin also said, "Jonghun oppa helped me a lot beside me, so we could win. Above all, athletes must take care of their bodies. My heart hurts like this, but I hope we all cheer up and can compete without pain and be happy," and added in English, "Yingsha unnie, take care," which drew loud applause from the audience.
Many Chinese fans also highly praised Im Jonghun and Shin Yubin's manners. SoHu reported, "When Shin Yubin and Im Jonghun showed no sign of being discouraged by Sun Yingsha at the ceremony, people finally burst into smiles. The two Korean players' 'warm actions' received praise from Chinese fans," it said.
According to media reports, responses included, "Players understand what an injury means, so they naturally empathize with each other," "Shin Yubin is really kind! Far more conscientious than the tournament organizers," "She looks kind just from her face," "Korea is naturally a polite country. They knew Sun Yingsha was hurt and therefore did not do a ceremony," and "Shin Yubin even patted Sun Yingsha's shoulder."
[Photos] WTT, Olympic, NetEase, Inc. homepage.
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