[Juan El Gordo Pérez]

All the table tennis will be taking place at Olive Convention Center Durban. Qualifying will be staged from 10-11 January while the Main Draw gets underway between 12-15 January.

A total prize pool of USD 75,000 and 400 World Ranking points at the top for the winners will be up for grabs.

As the first event on the WTT Series 2023 calendar it's a blank slate for the athletes. Durban will be an opportunity to see just how the off-season has been utilised. Plenty of time will have been spent patching-up weaknesses and developing new weapons to surprise the opponents. Expect to see some creativity unleashed when the first points get underway.

In the Men's Singles Hugo Calderano heads to Durban as the highest ranked player in action. The World No.7 picked up a Contender win in Tunis last year, his sole WTT Series title in 2022. The Brazilian will be eager to make a quick start to title winning ways with the new series underway.

In the Women's Singles Nina Mittelham heads the Women's Singles entry list. The World No.14 reached new heights in 2022, climbing from World No.33 to a career best of No.12 throughout the year. The German won the title at Contender Lima 2022 and will look to repeat that form in Durban.

As the first event on the calendar, Durban will set the tone for the rest of the year. The draw is full of rising stars who are looking to make their mark. Past World Youth champions Lin Shidong and Kuai Man will both take the chance to show their stuff in the senior ranks from the get-go. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Felix Lebrun will be stepping out with some pressure on his shoulders as the eleventh highest ranked athlete in the Men's Singles draw.