Nigeria’s table tennis sensation, Quadri Aruna, has reclaimed his position as Africa’s highest-ranked player, overtaking Egypt’s Omar Assar in the latest International Table Tennis Federation world rankings released on Tuesday, March 18.
Aruna now sits at 18th globally in the Week 12 rankings, solidifying his status as Africa’s best despite finishing runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup. His consistent performances in this year’s World Table Tennis (WTT) tournaments have played a key role in boosting his ranking.
Notably, Aruna remains the only African male player to have reached the semifinals of the WTT Contender Doha, a feat he first achieved in 2023 and successfully repeated this year.
His latest rise in the rankings saw him move from 19th to 18th, surpassing Assar, who had previously been Africa’s top-ranked player.
Assar, despite winning the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, saw his global ranking drop from 17th to 19th, allowing Denmark’s Jonathan Groth to climb from 18th to 17th, taking Assar’s former position.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali reached a career-high 45th after a quarterfinal exit at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, making him the third-highest-ranked African player.
Nigeria’s Omotayo Olajide also made an impressive leap, re-entering the top 100 at 98th after moving up four spots.
Additionally, Muizz Adegoke and Monday Kuti both climbed three places, now ranked 197th and 200th, respectively.
Women’s Rankings
In the women’s singles category, Egypt’s Hana Goda maintained her status as Africa’s highest-ranked female player, rising one place to 26th in the Week 12 ITTF rankings.
Her compatriot Dina Meshref held firm at 33rd, securing her position as Africa’s second-best female player.
Nigeria’s Fatima Bello, ranked 93rd, continues to lead as the country’s highest-ranked female table tennis player.
Global Standings
On the international stage, China’s Wang Chuqin retained his spot as the world’s No. 2 player, trailing behind Lin Shidong, who remains at the top of the global rankings.
Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto made a significant move to claim the third position following his semifinal finish at the WTT Champions Chongqing, surpassing China’s Liang Jingkun.
In the women’s rankings, China’s Sun Yingsha continues her reign as the world’s No. 1 after successfully defending her WTT Champions Chongqing title.
