Petra Sörling, the president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), revealed today that the body’s efforts to groom the US market in preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games “will see return on investment,” despite the body’s World Table Tennis (WTT) commercial vehicle contributing to it posting an eight-figure loss across 2025.
The results, which covered the 2025 calendar year, saw the ITTF post strong revenues of $71 million, up 16.2% on the 2024 figure, but this was outflanked by outgoings of $85.5 million, resulting in a net loss over the year of $14.4 million.
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Despite the poor showing (the body posted a profit in 2024), Sörling remains positive about the future of the sport and the body.
Speaking at a round table in London attended by Sportcal during the ITTF World Teams Championship, Sörling said that much of the increased spending was related to new market expansion initiatives, particularly in the US.
The Swede explained: “I take it very seriously that we have such a result for 2025, but when you're looking deeper into the numbers, they are related to investment in new markets.
“When you go into new markets, it's more expensive. And overall, we are no longer in a startup phase; we have to consolidate ourselves so it also turns into this new phase.
She reiterated that she felt support on the matter at the recent ITTF annual general meeting, continuing: “It would have been worse if this was an overall concern, but it's related to the new markets and investment there still, [and] as a global sport, we have to invest in new markets.
“One of the investments that we have done is in the US market. And we have the upcoming LA 2028 [Olympics], and we will see a return on investment. But of course, we have to be prudent.”
Sörling also added that, while the WTT commercial venture heavily contributed to the loss, the ITTF body alone generated a small profit across the year, stressing her belief that it has the “tools in place” to return to profitability in the short and long term.
Another issue Sörling and the ITTF must contend with is the search for a new chief executive, following the resignation of Steve Dainton last week.
Dainton, who will also relinquish his role as WTT chief executive and board director, ended his long-standing official involvement in table tennis on May 1, although he remains on hand in the transition process, a process that Sörling says will accelerate soon with a WTT board meeting on May 9.
“We are deeply grateful for the contribution of Steve Dainton. However, the company is no longer a startup, and we are turning into a new phase, and that is where we are looking at a leadership that is consolidating, as well as still being innovative.
Recruitment covers the role across both bodies, with Dainton and the existing stakeholders involved, with timelines and other related information to be revealed following the May 9 board meeting.
Since its launch, WTT has developed into the ITTF Group’s flagship commercial and events platform, establishing a unified global structure for professional table tennis.
Over the past six years, the organisation has built a year-round calendar spanning Grand Smash, WTT Champions, Star Contender, Contender, Feeder, and Youth events.
