Paddle Palace Young Stars Shine at 2026 ITTF Americas U11 & U13 Championships

The future of American table tennis was on full display in Texas, and two young Paddle Palace players came home with an impressive collection of hardware.

Mia Yang and William Jin combined to win seven medals, including five gold, at the 2026 ITTF Americas U11 & U13 Championships, held September 9–16 in the Houston area. The continental championships brought together many of the top U11 and U13 players from across the Americas. (ITTF)

For Mia, it was a perfect run through the three U11 girls’ championship events.

Mia Yang Wins Triple Gold

Representing the United States and training at the Atlanta International Table Tennis Academy, Mia Yang captured three gold medals:

• U11 Girls’ Singles – Gold
• U11 Girls’ Doubles – Gold, with Shreya Srinivasan
• U11 Girls’ Team – Gold, with Shreya Srinivasan

Mia also advanced to the quarterfinals of the U11 Mixed Doubles, adding another strong result to an outstanding week.

Image Courtesy of ITTF America

Her singles championship required some serious resilience.

In the final against Brazil's Manuela Rodrigues, Mia dropped the opening game 9-11 before responding 11-9. Rodrigues took the third 12-10, putting Mia one game away from defeat.

Mia answered by taking the fourth 11-4 and then completed the comeback with an 11-9 victory in the deciding fifth game, winning the match 3-2.

The statistics show just how close the final was. Mia won 52 total points to Rodrigues' 45, with her largest lead reaching seven points.

USA Table Tennis also singled out Mia's performance in its championship recap, noting that she led the U11 girls' results with her singles victory and gold medals alongside Shreya Srinivasan in doubles and team competition. (USA Table Tennis)

The continental singles title adds to what has already been an excellent 2026 for Mia. Earlier this year, she captured the U11 Girls’ Singles title at the 2026 U.S. National Championships. (USA Table Tennis)

William Jin Earns Four Medals

William Jin, who trains at Micro Motion Table Tennis Academy, put together an equally impressive championship, reaching the podium in four events:

• U11 Boys’ Singles – Silver
• U11 Boys’ Doubles – Gold, with Allen Mao
• U11 Boys’ Team – Gold, with Allen Mao
• U11 Mixed Doubles – Bronze, with Shreya Srinivasan

William's singles run carried him all the way to an all-USA championship match against Allen Mao.

Along the way, William defeated Mateo Chaves of Costa Rica 3-0 in the Round of 16 and Canada's Leo Ma 3-1 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he defeated fellow American William Zhang 3-2 to earn his place in the championship match.

Mao prevailed 3-0 in the final, giving William the U11 Boys’ Singles silver medal. 

Image Courtesy of ITTF America

William and Allen then went from singles opponents to championship teammates. Together, they captured gold in both U11 Boys’ Doubles and the U11 Boys’ Team event. 

William added a fourth trip to the podium with bronze in Mixed Doubles alongside Shreya Srinivasan.

Like Mia, William entered Houston with national championship success already on his résumé. At the 2026 U.S. Nationals, William and Allen won the U11 Boys’ Doubles championship, while William and Shreya captured the U11 Mixed Doubles title. (USA Table Tennis)

Seven Medals and Plenty to Celebrate

Mia Yang and William Jin leave Houston with quite a medal collection:

Mia Yang: 3 Gold
William Jin: 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze

That's seven medals and five continental titles between two young Paddle Palace players.

Their results were part of a huge performance by the United States. American players captured 43 of the 56 available medals, finishing with 14 gold, 11 silver and 18 bronze. In the U11 division alone, the U.S. won seven gold medals. (USA Table Tennis)

At Paddle Palace, we're proud to support young players who are putting in the hours, competing internationally and developing their games against the best players in their age groups.

Congratulations to Mia and William, their families, coaches and training partners on a fantastic week in Houston. We can't wait to see what comes next!

View the official ITTF Americas U11 & U13 Championships results