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

Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has ascended to become Africa’s highest-ranked table tennis player, overtaking Egypt’s Omar Assar in the latest world rankings released for week 12 on Tuesday.

Aruna now sits at 18th place, moving up from 19th in week 11, while Assar dropped from 17th to 19th.

Denmark’s Jonathan Groth claimed Assar’s former 17th spot, moving up from 18th.

Aruna’s rise in the rankings comes despite finishing as the runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup.

His strong performances at the World Table Tennis (WTT) tournaments this year have significantly boosted his standing.

Notably, Aruna remains the only African male player to reach the semi-finals of the WTT Contender Doha, a remarkable feat he repeated earlier this year in January.

This achievement has propelled him ahead of Assar, who won the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, further cementing Aruna’s place as the continent’s highest-ranked player.

Aruna’s next tournament will be the WTT Contender Chennai, which kicks off in India from March 23 to 30.

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In the women’s rankings, Egypt’s Hana Goda remained Africa’s top-ranked player, moving up one place to 26th in the week 12 ITTF ranking.

Her compatriot, Dina Meshref, held steady at 33rd, maintaining her position as the second-highest ranked female player in Africa.

In the global rankings, China’s Wang Chuqin retained his spot as the second-best player in the world, behind his compatriot Lin Shidong, who remains in the top spot.

Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto made a significant leap, dethroning China’s Liang Jingkun to claim the third spot after his strong semifinal performance in Chongqing.

The women’s top five rankings remained unchanged, with China’s Sun Yingsha holding onto her position as the world’s best after successfully defending her WTT Champions Chongqing title.