Quadri Aruna becomes Africa’s highest-ranked table tennis player

Nigeria’s table tennis star Quadri Aruna has overtaken Egypt’s Omar Assar to become Africa’s highest-ranked player in the world, climbing to 18th in the latest Week 12 ranking released on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

Aruna’s consistency pays off

Despite finishing as runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, Aruna’s impressive performances at WTT tournaments this year have boosted his ranking.

According to the latest update from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), he remains the only African male player to have reached the semifinals of the WTT Contender Doha, repeating his 2023 feat earlier this year with another semifinal finish.

This achievement has propelled him ahead of Assar, who won the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup but dropped in ranking. Aruna moved up from 19th place in Week 11 to 18th in the latest rankings, while Assar fell from 17th to 19th, with Denmark’s Jonathan Groth taking over Assar’s former 17th spot.

African players continue to make strides

Despite a quarterfinal exit at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali climbed to 45th, making him the third-best-ranked African player in the world.

In the Women’s singles, Egypt’s Hana Goda remained Africa’s highest-ranked female player, moving up one place to 26th in the Week 12 ITTF ranking. Her compatriot, Dina Meshref, stayed at 33rd, maintaining her status as the second-best-ranked female player in Africa.

China dominates global rankings

China’s Wang Chuqin retained his position as the second-best player globally, behind his compatriot Lin Shidong, who continues to hold the top spot. Japanese superstar Tomokazu Harimoto dethroned China’s Liang Jingkun as the third-best player in the world after his semifinal finish in Chongqing.

In the Women’s rankings, the top five remained unchanged, with China’s Sun Yingsha holding onto her No. 1 position after defending her WTT Champions Chongqing title.