Hayata Hina: Southpaw Ace Leads Japanese Women’s Table Tennis Charge in Paris

Olympic Dream

Hayata Hina belongs to what is often called the “golden generation” of table tennis, a three-member group of stars—all born in 2000—that includes Hirano Miu and Itō Mima. The trio of prodigies have come up through the ranks together, but Hayata is alone in having yet to compete at the Olympics.

She came close in 2021 in Tokyo but had to make do with a supporting role as a reserve player. Watching from the sidelines, she cheered Hirano and Itō on to silver in the team competition and celebrated Itō’s bronze in the women’s singles and a historic gold in the mixed doubles with Mizutani Jun.

Itō missed the final cut for Paris, but that has not dampened expectations for another successful Olympic outing for Team Japan. Hayata has proven that she is ready and able to step into the role of team ace, and in her long-awaited Olympic debut, she will be looking to lead a squad to new heights on the international stage.

In the three years since Tokyo, Hayata has steadily worked her way up the world rankings. She had a standout tournament at the 2021 Asian Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar, where she took home gold in the singles, mixed doubles, and women’s team competition, and has continued to add to her trophy collection, solidifying her status as team ace and guaranteeing her slot on the Olympic team.

Hayata Hina (left) snaps a selfie with Harimoto Miwa after the pair earned their first Olympic berths with a one-two finish in the women’s singles at the 2024 All-Japan Championships, held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in January. (© Kyōdō)

Setting Sights on China

Having punched her ticket to Paris, Hayata is now aiming to prove herself at the games by bringing home a medal, preferably gold. To reach the medal podium, though, she will need to contend with a dominant Chinese team. In preparation, the left-hander has focused on building up her already potent offensive repertoire by honing her forehand drive and backhand, as well as by tweaking her service game.

Her hard work paid off at the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships Final in Durban, South Africa, when she bested China’s Wang Yidi in the quarterfinals of the women’s singles competition. In the thrilling final game, Hayata fended off a steely charge by Wang, with the Japanese ace saving nine match points before sealing her hard-fought victory 21–19 in the seventh game. The quarterfinal triumph marked the first singles win by a Japanese player against a Chinese opponent at the world championships in 44 years and served as proof that the world table tennis powerhouse was not invincible.

However, Hayata ran up against the depth and strength of the Chinese team in her semifinal match against eventual champion Sun Yingsha. Hayata had to settle for bronze in the end, but took encouragement from her strong showing, saying that she had trained with China in mind and that advancing to the quarterfinal showed she was on the right track.

Key to her win against Wang was her ability to switch gears mid-match. Struggling to score with her signature forehand drive, she shifted her offensive strategy to her backhand. Facing a deep Chinese side, there will likely be need for similar flexibility in tactics in Paris.

Medal Hopes

The Japanese women’s team led by Hayata is making progress in challenging China’s table tennis supremacy. The two squads met in the finals at the 2024 World Table Tennis Championships in Busan, South Korea, in February. Japan dropped the first match but rallied to win the next two to take the lead and raise the possibility of an upset. It was not to be, though, as China ultimately found its footing, capturing the last two matches and the gold. However, it was far cry from the dominating wins that have characterized earlier clashes.

In the second match, Hayata upset Chen Meng to earn her first win ever against the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist in seven meetings. Chen’s dominance is grounded in her all-around playing style, but Hayata, knowing she had to take shake things up, prevented Chen from settling into her game by using a mixture of shots to keep the Chinese player guessing.

Hayata celebrates beating China’s Chen Meng in the final of the women’s team competition at the World Table Tennis Championships in Busan, South Korea, on February 24, 2024. (© Reuters)

The win exposed a weak spot in China’s armor, but it was not enough for a knockout blow. Hayata faced a determined Sun Yingsha in the fourth match and was dominated by the Chinese ace, losing in straight games. Although a disappointing defeat, it provided Hayata and her teammates with important insights in forging a Chinese strategy for the Olympics.

The Chinese media has taken note of Japan’s table tennis successes. Warning against underestimating the squad, it has singled Hayata out as the player posing the biggest threat. While overcoming China’s hegemony in the sport will be no easy task, Hayata has illustrated her commitment to dethroning the champions and has demonstrated steady progress toward that goal.

Competing in the women’s singles and team competitions and pairing up with Harimoto Tomokazu in the mixed doubles, Hayata will have three shots at ascending the top step of the podium in Paris and solidifying her reputation as part of the “golden generation.”

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Hayata Hina returns a shot during the women’s team competition on September 5 at the 2023 Asian Table Tennis Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea. © VCG via Reuters connect.)