Olympians and International Delegations Headline 2024 U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships

The 2024 U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships kicks off next Monday, December 16th at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, in Las Vegas Nevada. The six-day table tennis extravaganza will be the largest tournament held in the U.S. this year, featuring almost 1,500 players from 42 states and 19 countries competing in 115 events. Competition will take place on 129 tables in a sprawling 180,000 square foot convention hall located on the Las Vegas strip.

The annual U.S. Open is the oldest continuously running table tennis tournament in the United States. Over its illustrious history, this event has hosted international stars and Olympic champions such as Jan Ove Waldner, Jean-Michel Saive, Kong Linghui, Michael Appelgren, Zoran Primorac, Ma Lin, Wang Liqin, Ni Xia Lian, Adriana Diaz, Wang Nan, and Elizabeta Samara. U.S. players have also left their mark, with notable performances from Gao Jun, Cheng Yinghua, Lily Zhang, Amy Wang, and Jinbao Ma.

Players to Watch

2024 Team USA Paris Olympians Amy Wang and Kanak Jha are the main Americans to watch in the Women’s and Men’s singles, respectively.

Amy Wang: Going for the Three-Peat

Currently a student at UCLA, Wang is majoring in neuroscience with a minor in accounting. At just 22, she has an impressive list of international achievements, including winning a gold medal in singles at the 2023 Pan American Championships, two gold medals in Women’s Doubles and Women’s Teams at the 2023 Pan American Games, and a silver medal at the 2024 Pan American Cup. Wang also won the U.S. Olympic Trials and qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she reached the round of 32. She is a two-time U.S. National Champion, claiming the title in 2022 and 2023, and a two-time U.S. Open Champion, with victories in 2021 and 2023.

In Las Vegas, Wang is aiming to make history as the first player to win the U.S. Open three consecutive times since Leah Neuberger achieved this feat in 1955, 1956, and 1957. Since then, only three women have come close to matching that achievement: Gao Jun (2008, 2009), Li Jiawei (2004, 2005), Xu Jin (1988, 1989), and Susie Hoshi (1958, 1959).

Kanak Jha: Fan Favorite

Kanak Jha, a three-time Olympian and world-ranked #61, makes his much-anticipated return to the U.S. Open, competing for the first time since 2018. Jha is the defending U.S. National Champion and made history at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by finishing in the top 16, the best performance by a male U.S. athlete. Originally from Milpitas, California, Jha now lives and trains in Germany.

International Presence: Japanese Contingent and European Powerhouses

The Japanese Table Tennis Association has a tradition of sending some of its strongest players to the U.S. Open. These competitors, though not regulars in WTT or ITTF events, have often surprised U.S. audiences with their skill and style. For the 2024 event, Takami Masaki, who reached the final in 2023, leads a talented group that includes Hiromitsu Kasahara (rated 2730), Koyo Kanamitsu, and Yu Kayama in the Men’s Singles category. The Women’s Singles field will feature Kotomi Omoda, Reina Aso, Yura Shinohara, Fuya Yumuto, and Asuka Sasao, all aiming to make an impact.

The Japanese players will face stiff competition from European stars. Olah Benedek of Finland, ranked #96 in the world, has an extensive international career and will be among the top seeds. Benedek’s only previous appearance in a U.S. Table Tennis-sanctioned event was his victory at the 2021 Westchester November Open. Other strong European contenders include French defender Mathieu De Santillan (rated 2656), Alexandru Cazacu from Romania (rated 2663), and Polish Olympian Daniel Gorak (rated 2693).

Special Highlights

In addition to competition, participants and spectators will have access to special promotions and surprises throughout the event.

• ElevenVR, a virtual reality table tennis company, will be on site to demonstrate how to play table tennis in the virtual reality space
• ITTF Foundation leadership have traveled from Germany to discuss their programs supporting table tennis growth in low resourced countries
• Exclusive table tennis merchandise will be available for the first time from USATT
• Fun games for players to earn prizes will be set up throughout the week

How to Watch

All matches, including the finals, on the feature table will be live streamed for the first 5 days competition and can be accessed on USATT’s YouTube channel.

Results will be posted in real time on the 2024 U.S. Open’s Omnipong page, while daily write-ups will be available on USATT’s website.

Tickets can be purchased for all days, including the finals here.

A Celebration of Table Tennis

The U.S. Open is more than just a competition; it’s a celebration of table tennis as a sport and community. With a record number of players converging from across the U.S. and world with diverse backgrounds, the event highlights the unique unifying power of table tennis as a sport.