Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing Egypt’s Omar Assar to become Africa’s highest-ranked player in the world. According to the week 12 ranking released on Tuesday, by ITTF, Aruna has risen to 18th place globally, while Assar dropped to 19th.
Aruna’s impressive performances at the WTT tournaments this year have significantly boosted his ranking. Despite finishing as runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, his consistency and skill have earned him the top spot in Africa.
Notably, Aruna remains the only African male player to have reached the semi-finals of the WTT Contender Doha, a feat he achieved earlier this year in January. His next tournament is the WTT Contender Chennai, scheduled to take place in India from March 23 to 20.
In the women’s singles, Egypt’s Hana Goda maintained her top spot in Africa, moving up one place to 26th in the week 12 ITTF ranking. Her compatriot, Dina Meshref, remained static at 33rd, holding her position as the second-best-ranked female player in Africa.
The top-ranked players globally remain unchanged, with China’s Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin holding the top two spots in the men’s singles. In the women’s ranking, China’s Sun Yingsha retained her top spot after winning the WTT Champions Chongqing title.