Five years on from the Tokyo build-up this site documented, Kanak Jha remains the standard-bearer for American table tennis — and in 2026 he is carrying the flag in stronger form than ever. Seeded sixth at WTT Contender Skopje and ranked world No. 30, Jha arrived in North Macedonia off the back of reaching the German league final for Borussia Düsseldorf, where he beat world No. 15 Darko Jorgic.
He would meet Jorgic again in the Skopje final and lose a seven-game heartbreaker — but the run, and the Bundesliga form behind it, marks a player operating at a career-high level.
Zhang and the team picture
Alongside Jha, four-time Olympian Lily Zhang (world No. 41, seeded 16th in Skopje) continues to anchor the US women; she helped the team reach the round of 16 at the London 2026 team worlds. Both earned direct entry to the Skopje main draw — a sign of the standard the American pair now hold on the world circuit as the LA28 cycle, on home soil, comes into view.