After a landmark debut in 2025, US Smash is returning to the United States, and in 2026, the WTT Grand Smash shifts its focus to the Los Angeles region.
World Table Tennis (WTT), organiser of the WTT Series and the sport’s biggest stage for professional and commercial table tennis, confirms that US Smash 2026 will take place from June 26 to July 5, 2026, at the Ontario Convention Center, located just 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The event will feature two days of qualifying action followed by eight days of main draw competition, bringing a total of ten days of world-class table tennis to one of America’s most dynamic sporting regions.
The move follows the success of the inaugural US Smash 2025 in Las Vegas, which marked the first-ever WTT Grand Smash event held in the Americas. That edition delivered statement performances and defining moments: Zhu Yuling’s remarkable return to the top with her Women’s Singles title, World No.1 Wang Chuqin’s commanding Men’s Singles victory, and an arena that proved the appetite for table tennis at this level in the U.S. market.
Bringing the event to Greater Los Angeles in 2026 represents both continuity and expansion. With the Olympic Games set to arrive in Los Angeles in 2028, Southern California is entering a pivotal period for global sport. Hosting a Grand Smash within the Greater LA market strengthens table tennis’ presence in the lead-up to LA28 and ensures the sport is visible in a region preparing to welcome the world.
As WTT Chief Executive Officer Steve Dainton noted, the evolution is deliberate. “The response to US Smash in 2025 showed us what’s possible in the United States,” Dainton said. “Bringing the event into the Los Angeles region aligns with the next phase of growth. With LA28 approaching, this is about ensuring table tennis is part of the broader sporting narrative in the years leading into the Games.”
For American athletes, the shift west carries added meaning. California-born Lily Zhang, a multi-time Olympian and former World No.22 — her career-best ranking — sees the move as both symbolic and practical.
“Having a Grand Smash on home soil changes the atmosphere completely,” Zhang said. “Bringing it to the Greater Los Angeles area, especially with LA28 coming, gives young players something tangible to look at and aim for. It raises the visibility of the sport in a way that matters.”
Kanak Jha, who reached a career-high World Ranking of No.19, also born in California, and has led the new generation of U.S. men’s table tennis on the global stage, echoed that sentiment, pointing to the importance of sustained exposure in major American markets.
“US Smash 2025 showed the level that table tennis can reach in this country,” Jha said. “Moving to California is another step forward. The more we bring events like this to different cities, the more we grow the sport nationally.”
The relocation reflects WTT’s broader strategy of expanding the WTT Series across key American markets rather than anchoring the event to a single destination. By establishing US Smash within the Greater Los Angeles area, WTT continues to deepen its footprint in the United States while building long-term foundations ahead of LA28.
As a Grand Smash event — the highest tier on the WTT Series calendar — US Smash 2026 will once again offer maximum ranking points, prize money, and global broadcast exposure. The world’s leading players are expected to compete, with qualifiers scheduled for June 26-27 and the main draw running from June 28-July 5.
Further details on ticket sales, player entries, broadcast distribution, and fan engagement initiatives will be announced in the coming months.
If 2025 established that a Grand Smash could succeed on American soil, 2026 is about scaling that success in a region preparing for the Olympic spotlight.
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