Sun Yingsha delivered a stunning performance at the London World Team Championships, clinching the women’s team title while setting a historic milestone. She became the first player ever—male or female—to win back-to-back MVP awards at the biennial event, a feat that had not been achieved in the tournament’s 100-year history.
After teammate Wang Manyu lost her opening match and Kuai Man fell in the third, the Chinese team trailed 2-1. Stepping onto the court, Sun Yingsha dominated both her matches with straight 3-0 victories, including a masterclass against Japan’s Miwa Harimoto, who managed only 12 total points. Her anticipation and precise counter-attacks left opponents scrambling.
In a moment of sportsmanship, Sun Yingsha voluntarily signaled a edge ball that went unnoticed by the umpire, earning praise from fans and teammates. She then calmly advised Wang Manyu on the spin serve Harimoto would likely use in the third game—a prediction that proved spot-on, according to head coach Ma Lin.
“I closed my eyes and served because I knew Shasha had my back,” Wang Manyu said after the match, her voice trembling.
CCTV’s official bulletin on May 12 read simply: “Sun Yingsha retains World Team Championships women’s team MVP.” Data confirms she has won all 18 matches across two tournaments—eight in Busan and ten in London—each time shouldering the heaviest responsibility.
After the victory, Sun Yingsha quietly covered her head with a towel for half a minute before helping teammate Kuai Man clean her racket. When a young fan ran up with a drawing reading “Sister Shasha, don’t be tired,” Sun Yingsha crouched down and drew a small table tennis bat in the corner of the paper, without adding her signature. The pen she used has been in her hand for three years, its cap long worn away.
She is not a superhero; she is simply a fierce, determined player who always takes on the hardest battles and delivers when it matters most.
