Table tennis player Hugo Carioca is the new vice-leader of the world ranking , after the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) updated its list this Monday (9). In addition to reaching the unprecedented position in his career, the Brazilian became the first athlete from the Americas to occupy the position in the sport, traditionally dominated by Asians and Europeans. Calderano took second place after overtaking the Chinese player Wang Chuqin. The top of the ranking remains with another Chinese player: Wang Chuqin.
“It is a great source of pride for me to take Brazil to yet another unprecedented place in the history of table tennis. This achievement is the result of an incredible season, the best of my career so far. The year is just beginning and I hope to achieve other great results,” said Calderano in a statement to the Brazilian Table Tennis Confederation (CBTM).
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Calderano started 2026 with a bronze medal at the WTT Star Contender in Doha (Qatar) . Last season, the 26-year-old table tennis player racked up excellent results: in April he climbed from fifth to third place in the rankings after winning the World Cup in Macau (China), a country with more stars in the sport. A month later, he was runner-up in the World Championship in Doha – until then, only Asians and Europeans had competed in the final.
Currently ranked number 2 in the world, the Brazilian signed a contract last Friday (6) with FC Saarbrücken, a German club that plays in the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the Champions League. After almost 10 years playing for TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen, Calderano announced on social media that he will play for his new club in the 2026/27 season.
