Hugo Calderano's recent victory in the Table Tennis World Cup against the world's number one player, Lin Shidong, stands as a remarkable achievement following a challenging year. His previous success at the Paris Olympics, reaching the semifinals – a feat unprecedented for a non-Asian or European athlete – was overshadowed by a semifinal loss and the subsequent bronze medal match loss.
The year after the Olympics saw a split performance. Calderano dominated in his club, Liebherr Ochsenhausen, while facing setbacks in international WTT tournaments, failing to progress beyond the quarterfinals in eight tournaments. His success in the World Cup demonstrated his ability to overcome these challenges. This success prompted a change in his career trajectory.
In response to the difficulties, Calderano ended a 15-year partnership with his coaching team and will leave Liebherr Ochsenhausen after nine seasons. He aims to concentrate on WTT championships, particularly the high-profile Smash events, to secure a favorable seeding for future Olympic competitions. Calderano’s multilingual abilities and intellectual capacity contribute to his strategic decision-making in his career.