Kuai Man (Photo WTT)
The countdown to the final WTT Grand Smash event of the season is ticking down fast, with China Smash 2026 getting underway on 1 October. While the blockbuster rivalry of Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu is understandably dominating the pre-event build-up, Kuai Man’s involvement quite simply can’t be ignored.
Kuai’s record really is quite something. At just 22 years of age, she’s already made multiple WTT Grand Smash finals, including one this season. Despite all of her success, there’s still something eating away at her. That elusive statement title.
Bursting onto the scene in staggering fashion, it was Kuai Man’s appearance at Singapore Smash 2025 that shook the table tennis world, pulling out all the stops to knock out the champ Wang Manyu. That show-stopping performance would inspire Kuai to further victories over big-time players Zhu Yuling and Chen Xingtong, before eventually finishing in the final.
Fast-forward to July of this year and Kuai would go on another deep run at United States Smash 2026, fighting her way through to the final, only to miss out to Sun Yingsha by the tightest of margins.
Adding to those Grand Smash near-misses, Kuai has also finished in the runner-up spot once on the WTT Champions stage, and made a charge to the title match at last year’s season-ending WTT Finals Hong Kong 2025. However, on each and every occasion, Kuai has been denied at the final hurdle.
Always the bridesmaid, and never the bride. But it really does feel like it’s a question of when, not if, that will change?
There’s no better place to smash through that glass ceiling than on home soil at China Smash. She returns to Beijing with somewhat of a point to prove, having lost out in the round of 16 at last year’s event, exiting to Shin Yubin on that occasion.
The fourth and final WTT Grand Smash event of the season is arguably the most difficult to conquer. The biggest names will all be there, including Sun Yingsha and defending champion Wang Manyu. Any challenger to the crown will very likely have to see off both of those superstars. But the good news for Kuai is that she has slain both titans before.
Posting two victories over Sun Yingsha in WTT action (WTT Finals Hong Kong 2025, WTT Champions Chongqing 2026), and that shock win against Wang Manyu at Singapore Smash 2025, Kuai Man clearly possesses the necessary tools to get the job done. It will require the performance of a lifetime to capture the prized winner’s trophy at China Smash, but has her moment finally come?
