WTT Contender Istanbul 2026:
Rahimi’s historic run ends in last 32
Iranian table tennis player Elina Rahimi’s historic campaign at the WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 came to an end in the round of 32 after she suffered a 3-1 (11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8) defeat to second seed and world No. 17 Joo Cheon-hui of South Korea on Thursday.
Rahimi became the first Iranian woman to reach the main draw of a WTT Contender event after battling through three rounds of qualifying at the tournament in Istanbul.
Her achievement was particularly significant as she became only the second Iranian woman to reach the main draw of a WTT Series event, following Neda Shahsavari, who made the last 32 through qualifying at the WTT Star Contender Doha II in 2021.
Ranked No. 650 in the world, Rahimi was the fourth-lowest-ranked player in the women’s singles qualifying draw. She beat world No. 691 Katarina Strazar of Slovenia in the first round (11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6) before pulling off an impressive straight-games victory over Swedish sixth seed and world No. 122 Filippa Bergand (11-6, 11-9, 11-6).
The 21-year-old then sealed her place in the main draw with a victory over Russia’s Valeriia Kotsiur (11-6, 11-7, 7-11, 5-11, 11-5).
The official World Table Tennis website hailed Rahimi’s achievement in Istanbul, describing it as “a landmark moment for Iranian table tennis.”