Table tennis ace
Sonja gained strength for new mission at Hogwarts
An amazing season with gold at the home European Championships and fifth place at the Olympics lies behind her. On Sunday, table tennis ace Sofia Polcanova starts the new year at the tournament in Singapore. Having long been the undisputed number one in Europe, there is only one thing she is missing: "I would love to beat a top Chinese player."
"Sonja" felt completely drained, both physically and emotionally, after what was probably the most exhausting season of her career. After an injury in 2023, the previous year had begun with doubts. However, the prospect of the Olympics and the home European Championships in Linz in October had given her the strength to persevere. At the same time, however, the pressure as a home star and defending champion had been great.
The emotions had taken her all the way to her vacation in December. Polcanova urgently needed this time out in Hawaii. It was a very emotional time. "All the weight had finally been lifted," says the 30-year-old. "I cried a lot there because everything was behind me."
Tears of joy in Orlando
However, the highlight of her vacation was a visit to the Harry Potter world in Orlando. As a huge fan of the book series, "Sonja" even dressed up in the outfit of a Hogwarts student. "I was so nervous and thought to myself that I must be the only one who looked like that," she says, beaming with joy. "But almost everyone was dressed like that. At the entrance, I burst into tears that the time had finally come. The ticket inspector just asked: 'First time?' and I nodded. Then seeing Hogwarts and Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade was just overwhelming."
It was a much-needed change for Polcanova, even after the squabbles in the Austrian Table Tennis Association. Its president Wolfgang Gotschke and sports director Stefan Fegerl have been confronted by players with accusations of psychological violence. A complaint that Austria's table tennis figurehead has joined.
"In recent months, I have repeatedly seen players being neglected, put under mental pressure and deprived of necessary information," Polcanova said, hoping for personnel changes at the top of the association.
Las Vegas also on the agenda
As far as she is concerned, "Sonja" has ticked off this topic as well as possible. She starts the new season on Sunday with the "Grand Smash" in Singapore, one of the most lucrative tournaments in table tennis. Prize money of 1.5 million dollars awaits. While the tournament in Singapore will be held for the fourth time, there will actually be four of them for the first time in 2025, following the example of the Grand Slams in tennis, thus finally fulfilling the original goal. The other three tournaments will be held in Las Vegas, Malmö and Beijing.
The fact that the tournaments will be played on three different continents underlines the status of table tennis as a global sport. Even more important for the players is that the tournaments are fixed and there is planning security. "This year, at least we already know what the calendar looks like," says Polcanova. "Last year it changed three times."
On the other hand, the fact that participation in all major tournaments is obligatory caused annoyance. The Olympic champions and world number one Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, who were taking a break, withdrew their rankings completely as a result. However, this does not change the fact that the favorites in both the men's and women's singles come from China.
Top Chinese women in her sights
This is also where "Sonja" has her sights set this year. At European level, Polcanova is the undisputed number one after her second consecutive European Championship singles gold. But there is one thing she has not yet achieved in table tennis. "It's already in the back of my mind that I want to finally beat a top Chinese player," she admits. "However, Singapore is my first tournament in two months."
She is therefore going into the first "Grand Smash" of the season without any particular expectations. With the exception of Chen Meng, everyone who is anyone in the women's field will be there. That's why Polcanova, who feels at home there and praises the organization of the tournament, is only seeded number 14. She is also competing in the doubles with Bernadette Szöcs and in the mixed with Robert Gardos. Gardos, on the other hand, is also in the main competition in the men's doubles with Daniel Habesohn.
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