Japanese Star Hiroto Matsushima Says Japan Can Beat China Even at 50%

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 18, 2026— Japanese table tennis starHiroto Matsushimahas made a confident statement ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, saying Japan's men's team believes it can beat China even if it performs at only 50% to 60% of its potential.

Matsushima, 19, made the comments during Japan's Asian Games training session on Sept. 17. He described the tournament as an opportunity to make a major breakthrough and said he would target gold medals in all four events he has entered: men's singles, men's doubles, men's team and mixed doubles.

Strong Confidence Before the Asian Games

Speaking about a potential men's team matchup with China, Matsushima said the current Japanese lineup is strong enough to challenge the Chinese team even without playing at its maximum level.

He also expressed confidence about facing Chinese world-class players individually, saying that regardless of Wang Chuqin's condition, he believes he has the ability to compete if he performs at his own level.

The comments have attracted significant attention because China has traditionally been one of the strongest forces in international men's table tennis.

Matsushima's Rapid Rise

Matsushima has emerged as one of Japan's leading young players over the past year.

According to Japanese media reports, he was ranked around No. 24 in the world a year ago and was then considered Japan's third-ranked men's player. His breakthrough accelerated after he won the WTT Frankfurt Champions title in November 2025.

In 2026, Matsushima successfully defended his All-Japan men's singles title, won a silver medal at the World Cup and later became the first Japanese men's player to win the singles title at the WTT U.S. Smash. His world ranking subsequently climbed to a career-high No. 3.

He also reached the quarterfinals of last week's WTT Macau Champions, although he did not advance to the semifinals.

A Potential Clash With Wang Chuqin

The Asian Games could provide Matsushima with an opportunity to face China's Wang Chuqin, currently one of the leading players in the men's game.

Matsushima has already gained experience against elite Chinese opposition. At the 2025 Asian Championships, he defeated Wang in a men's team match as Japan built an early lead over China before China eventually completed a 3-2 comeback.

That result has become part of the background to Matsushima's current confidence, although a team match involves multiple players and cannot be reduced to the result of a single encounter.

Four Events, Four Gold-Medal Ambitions

Matsushima's schedule in Nagoya will be demanding. He is entered in all four men's events available to him, making physical preparation and recovery important throughout the tournament.

He said the Asian Games, held once every four years, are particularly important to him and that he intends to fight for gold in every event.

For Japan, Matsushima represents part of a younger generation seeking to challenge China's long-established position in men's table tennis. His partnership with fellow Japanese star Tomokazu Harimoto gives Japan two high-level singles players heading into the competition.

The Competition Will Provide the Answer

Matsushima's “50% to 60%” comment is a pre-tournament expression of confidence, not a prediction of a specific match result.

With the Asian Games beginning in Nagoya, the Japanese teenager now faces the more difficult task of translating his confidence into results at the table. Whether Japan can challenge China in the men's team event—and how far Matsushima can go in the singles competition—will be determined once the matches begin.

For a player who has climbed from outside the world's top 20 to No. 3 within a year, the Asian Games provide another major test of his rapid development.