Hina Hayata
Japan
Japan
Many Asian kids dream about becoming professional ping pong (table tennis) players but only a few end up cutting it. Turning pro requires incredible talent, grit, and hard work. Hina Hayata possesses all those qualities, and it’s no surprise that she’s among the few kids who turned pro.
Hina stood out very early, and that helped her play in the junior championships, where she was victorious. The top table tennis player, who loves to use a shake attack to beat her opponent, took her fierce competitiveness to the senior level, making her a global success.
If you’ve always wanted to know about Hina’s game as well as her personal life and accomplishments, read on.
Quick Facts
Biography
Hina was born in Kitakyushu, Japan, in 2000. Japan is known for having many successful ping pong players since the early 1900s. For example, Hiroji Satoh, a Japanese, was the first non-European ping pong player to win a World Championship. Likewise, Tomie Okada-Okawa, another Japanese, was the first female Asian player to win the World Championships, stopping the European streak.
Childhood training
Hina had successful table tennis players like Hiroji and Tomie to look up to while growing up, which helped her believe she could also compete at the top. But before Hina could idolize the greatest Japanese table tennis players of all time, she had her sister, Seiya Kishikawa. Seiya trained at the elite Ishida ping pong club, and she influenced her younger sister to start playing at a very early age.
Specifically, Hayata Hina table tennis career kicked off at 4, and she has not slowed down 18 years later. You might know her as left-handed, but she didn’t always hold the racket with her left hand. She used to hold the racket with her right hand but switched to her left hand after she followed Seiya’s footsteps in joining the Ishida table tennis club.
Her regular training and dedication paid off and made her one of the best in her elementary school.
Junior competitions
Hina was in the second grade when she played in the All Japan Mini Cadet Table Tennis competition. She took that momentum to her high school, Nakama Shiritsu Nakama Higash High School, where she recorded huge successes. While a student at the school, she won the interim Municipal High School Championships in 2013 and 2014.
In April 2014, Hina became the ITTF World Tour Chile Open’s youngest finalist. Later that year, she helped Japan beat China at the 20th Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships in India to win the women’s cadet team competition. She was with the Japanese team that won the silver medal at the 2015 Milo Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She also won the bronze medal in girls’ doubles at the same competition.
In 2016, Hina’s team won a gold medal at the World Junior Table Tennis Championships in Cape Town, South Africa. She won a silver medal in the Doubles competition at the championship. The teenage sensation won another silver medal in the Mixed Doubles category.
Career
Hina Hayata age has not been a barrier to her. Ranked number six in the world according to the ITTF, she has added many feathers to her cap. Hina Hayata table tennis career has seen several major wins that we’ll discuss below.
World Championships
Hina has won six medals at World Championships by the age of 23. In fact, she won a medal every year from 2017 to 2023 . Hina only missed out in 2020 when the ITTF canceled that year's World Championships due to hold in South Korea because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She won a bronze medal in the women's doubles at the 2017 World Table Tennis Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany. She went one better at the 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Halmstad, Sweden, winning a silver medal in the team category.
Hina won another silver medal a year later, winning second place in the women's doubles at the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships in Budapest, Hungary. By the time the World Championships was back in 2021, the exciting Japanese table tennis player was back to winning ways, bagging the silver medal in the 2021 Houston Doubles.
In 2022, Hina won a silver medal at the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Chengdu, China.
WTT Cup Finals
Before the World Table Tennis (WTT) Cup Finals, there was the ITTF World Cup. The WTT Cup Finals replaced the ITTF World Cup in 2021 after the international governing federation introduced a new event structure. Before the restructuring, Hina won a silver medal in the women’s team competition at the 2018 ITTF World Cup in London.
After the restructuring, Hina won the bronze medal, finishing in third place at the WTT Cup Finals in Singapore in 2001.
WTT Grand Smashes
The WTT held its first-ever Grand Smash in 2022. As she’s done several times in her successful career, Hina succeeded in making her mark at the event held in Singapore. She won the maiden silver medal in Smash Doubles. Her fans expected her to go one better in the 2023 edition in Budapest.
Asian Championships
Besides the world events, Hina has had a lot of joy playing in the Asian Championships. She won a bronze medal in the Doubles event at the 2017 Asian Table Tennis Championships in Wuxi, China. She won a silver medal in the Team event at the same championship.
Hina’s next breakthrough came at the 2021 Asian Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar, where she won three gold medals. She finished in first place in the Singles, Team, and Mixed Doubles events. Her victory in the Singles event meant she became the fourth player representing Japan since 1972 to lift the women’s singles title at the Asian Table Tennis Championships.
Hina Hayata’s Personal Life
Hina Hayata lives a private life, but she is on social media, and we know a little about her net worth.
Social media
Hina has an account on the three most popular social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Her Facebook page features her pictures and information about her games. However, she’s yet to post on the page since June 2019. Hina also posts photos about her personal and professional life on her Instagram, @hayata_hina, but she last updated her 33,000 followers in July 2020.
In contrast, Hina keeps her 62,300 Twitter followers updated on her game. Her Twitter account, is hayata_hina. Although her posts on the bird app are occasional, she’s not deserted the platform as she’s done to others, so you can still keep up with her.
Net worth and income
It’s not clear how much Hina makes from her sponsorship deals, but her income at championships is sometimes made public. Her income usually depends on the championships she plays and the stages she finishes. For example, the World Number six received around $30,000 for finishing second at the WTT Grand Smash in Singapore. She won at least $26,000 after reaching the semifinals of the WTT Cup Finals in Singapore in 2022. As of December 2022, Hina Hayata’s net worth is believed to be around $1.5 Million.
Hina Hayata Equipment
Videos
Final Thoughts
Without any doubt, Hina has had a successful table tennis career thus far. At 22, she’s won several gold, bronze, and silver medals at championships. Unsurprisingly, she was ranked as high as fifth in the world in May 2022. She has deservedly been described as one of the best of her generation.
If you or your loved one dreams of becoming like Hina Hayata, you need a lot of practice and the right equipment. If your grip style is shakehand, find a table tennis paddle for shakehand. However, if your style is penhold, we have collected some of the best ping pong paddles for penhold to help you get the perfect tool.