An All-American US SMASH 2025 Fourth of July Celebration
Draw Ceremony Welcomes Worldwide Athletes
Fang Zhedong and Kanak Jhu participate in the US SMASH 2025 Drawing Ceremony at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
July 4, 2025 — Las Vegas —What better way to celebrate America's Independence Day than in Las Vegas, and at the inauguratory US SMASH 2025, now adding table tennis to the city's sports legacy logbook. The energy of this tournament is already fantastic and highlights the value of this sport worldwide. At the heartbeat of the tournament is the unveiled and reinvented Maverick ☆ Arena, a WTT reimagined centre court made especially for the United States. It is designed as a new landmark of competitive table tennis setting the stage for smash greatness.
The Draw Ceremony perfectly timed on this day of American Fourth of July celebration, finalized the matchups for the women's and men's singles main draw at The Orleans Arena. Stepping on this worldwide stage is symbolic of an essential finesse and now also an American legacy in the making inspired by what is undeniably a strong global wave of table tennis enthusiasm.
“This is history,” Dainton says. “For the first time, a WTT Grand Smash is on American soil. It’s not only about delivering a world-class event. It’s also about showing what table tennis can look and feel like in a global sports and entertainment capital," said Steve Dainton, the World Table Tennis Chief Executive Officer.
The tournament will host players from more than 30 territories, such as China, Japan, Korea, Sweden, Romania, Croatia, Brazil, Nigeria, India, Mexico, and more. World No.1s Sun Yingsha and Lin Shidong, plus Wang Chuqin, Wang Manyu, Truls Moregard, Miwa Harimoto, Shin Yubin, and the Lebrun brothers are all ready to unleash the force that table tennis has become.
American Kanak Jhu World No. 27 feels very much at home in Las Vegas and gladly embraces the city with open arms. "For me in particular to have it in Las Vegas of all places, it’s special because I have competed here since I was six, seven years old," said Jhu.
Today, Jhu is a considered an Olympian prodigy as the first American male to medal an Olympic bronze at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, and having competed in Rio 2016 as a teenager. The path of investment to reach this level of success had its sacrifices.
"My whole life revolves around 'tt' (table tennis). Every day, I wake up, it's centered around being the best player I can be," said Jhu.
World No. 27 Lily Zhang also stood on stage as a gracious athlete and representative of the American table tennis, reminding the audience about what a great milestone hosting the US SMASH 2025 is for table tennis. She underscored how this sport is largely seen as everyone's favorite athletic sport growing up, and how Americans will now have the chance to also experience its culture.
Zhang considered a trailblazer force for American tennis, and an Olympic athlete, she has shard how this sports requires a special kind of leadership: "passion, time, effort, and hard work."
"If you look at the Chinese currently, the best players in the world, they spend six to eight hours a day focused on table tennis. Growing up, I didn't get to see that example and role model in the US."
On this reinvented All-American table tennis arena and a grand slam maverick table to match the spirit, if there is one aspect all its favorite athletes can agree on about this beloved sport, it's this:
"Las Vegas! No better city to have a tournament in!" said Jhu.
