Brazil to host first WTT Star Contender in São Paulo state
Brazil’s first WTT Star Contender in São Paulo state will draw 154 players from 28 countries, giving regional players a home shot at ranking points and a US$300,000 purse.
Brazil will stage its first WTT Star Contender in São Paulo state when São José dos Campos hosts 154 players from 28 countries at Vale Sul Shopping from July 21 to 26. For Latin American table tennis, the debut matters immediately: regional players will be able to chase WTT ranking points and a six-figure purse without leaving the continent.
Brazil arrives with the largest delegation in the field, 48 athletes split between 31 men and 17 women. Hugo Calderano and Bruna Takahashi head the home roster, which also includes Giulia Takahashi, Laura Watanabe, Victoria Strassburger, Guilherme Teodoro, Vitor Ishiy, Leonardo Iizuka, Eric Jouti, Luca Kumahara, Guilherme Bardo and Leonardo Chagas. Japan is sending 17 players, while Hong Kong and Chile have 10 each, France nine, and Germany and the Dominican Republic eight apiece, giving the tournament a broad international shape rather than a home-heavy exhibition.
WTT’s event page has already built the story around its marquee names, listing Calderano, Alexis Lebrun, Darko Jorgic, Benedikt Duda, Shunsuke Togami, Patrick Franziska, An Jaehyun, Kanak Jha, Thibault Poret and Oh Junsung. It also places Calderano at world No. 8 in the field, a marker that underlines how deep the draw is and how much ranking movement is on offer. WTT is also marketing the event with Calderano and Miwa Harimoto, saying both return after dominating the previous Brazil stop.
The commercial test is just as important as the sporting one. Ticket sales opened May 25, with first-lot prices set from R$20 for qualifying sessions to R$180 for finals sessions, plus an R$800 all-session general pass and a R$2,600 VIP Experience Pass. Vilmar Schindler, the federation president, said the presence of 28 nations shows the confidence WTT has in the federation’s work and gives Brazilian fans the chance to see elite table tennis up close.
The São José dos Campos debut also builds on Brazil’s recent run of bigger WTT dates. CBTM said the 2025 Star Contender in Foz do Iguaçu carried a record US$300,000 purse, up from US$80,000 for the 2024 WTT Contender in Brazil, and Calderano won that men’s singles title to claim his 10th WTT singles trophy. With a larger field, a stronger international list and a first-time host city in São Paulo state, Brazil is trying to turn one milestone week into a recurring power stop on the WTT map.
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