How to watch: World Team Table Tennis Championships on BBC

The 2026 World Team Table Tennis Championships semi-finals and finals take place in London this weekend - and you can follow the action live on the BBC.

The men's and women's team events reach the final four at OVO Arena Wembley on Saturday, after eleven days of group-stage and knockout competition which started with 64 nations competing.

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China will be aiming to continue their near total dominance of the sport as their men's and women's teams each attempt to make it 12 titles out of a possible 13 this century.

The event returns to London 100 years after the first World Table Tennis Championships which took place at the Memorial Hall in Farringdon Street in 1926.

Huge upsets needed to end China's dominance

China's men's team have won the past eleven titles at the World Team Table Tennis Championships and have not suffered a defeat since 2000 when they lost in the final to Sweden.

World number one Wang Chuqin led them to a 3-0 victory over South Korea in Friday's quarter-final to set up a tough semi-final against France.

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Alex and Felix Lebrun, who won bronze medals in the team event at the last Olympics, were in impressive form for the French as they overcame Brazil to confirm a repeat of the final from the last World Championships.

In the other semi-final, Japan will take on Chinese Taipei who recorded a big upset against top seeds Sweden, winning 3-2 in their quarter-final.

Although China remain heavy favourites to lift the Swaythling Cup - the winners' trophy in London - their opponents may take some encouragement from their surprise defeats in the group stage by Sweden and South Korea.

China's women's team have lifted the Corbillon Cup - the trophy presented to the winners of the women's team tournament - seven times in a row, and will be up against Romania in the semi-finals.

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World number one and two Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu have won back-to-back team titles at the World Championships and Olympic Games and are both yet to drop a game in London.

Japan have finished as runners-up to China in the past five World Championships and are also undefeated going into their semi-final with Germany.

Olympic singles bronze medallist Hina Hayata, who played in three of those losing finals, closed out Japan's quarter-final against Ukraine with a straight-games victory to book their place in the final four.

How to watch: World Team Table Tennis Championships 2026

(all times BST)

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Semi-finals: Saturday, 9 May

First session: 10:00 - 15:00

Second session: 17:00 - 22:00

BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

Finals: Sunday, 10 May

First session: 11:00 - 14:00

Second session: 16:00 - 19:00

BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

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