Bundesliga

From established traditional clubs to youth academies with an international reputation: the clubs in the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) each have their own unique identity. A look at their locations shows how diverse and strong German table tennis is.

Borussia Düsseldorf

The heart of German table tennis beats at Borussia Düsseldorf: since 2006, it has been home to the German Table Tennis Centre, which serves as the national training centre for the women's and men's national teams and as a full-time boarding school for the German Table Tennis Association, and has already produced numerous Bundesliga players. The initiator and driving force behind this was DTTB Honorary President Hans Wilhelm Gäb, who passed away last spring at the age of 89. ‘Without him, there would be no ARAG CenterCourt, no German Table Tennis Centre and no Timo Boll in Düsseldorf,’ said Borussia manager Andreas Preuß.

TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen

One of the most important addresses in European junior table tennis is located in Ochsenhausen: with the Liebherr Masters College, TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen established a world-class talent factory in 2012. Top talents from all over the world are trained here and developed further at partner clubs, always with the aim of bringing them into the TTF's TTBL team. And with considerable success: Hugo Calderano and Simon Gauzy, among others, were trained at the LMC, and together they won the double with Ochsenhausen in 2019 and 2025.

1. FC Saarbrücken TT

From department to independence: Until 2011, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT was a department of 1. FC Saarbrücken, whose footballers currently play in the 3rd division, and was one of the founding members of the Table Tennis Bundesliga in 1966. With its independence, an era of success began that continues to this day: in 2010, FCS was promoted to the TTBL, finished fifth in its first year, and has since established itself among the top teams and been rewarded with titles. Saarbrücken has won the Champions League three times in a row (2023, 2024, 2025), the German Table Tennis Cup twice (2012, 2022) and the German Championship once (2020). With new signing Fan Zhendong, FCS is now aiming for further trophies in the new season.

TSV Bad Königshofen

Mizuki Oikawa, Yukiya Uda, Jin Ueda: Time and again, world-class players from Japan are drawn to the small town of Bad Königshofen, with a population of 6,000, in the Rhön-Grabfeld district of Lower Franconia. This is made possible on the one hand by the excellent relationship with partner Shakehands, which has been offering online table tennis courses since 2014. On the other hand, it is thanks to legendary Japanese coach Koji Itagaki, who joined the club in 2016 and has been an integral part of it ever since. Itagaki's children, Koharu and Akito, are also successful table tennis players: Akito has already made his debut in the TTBL, while Koharu became European Youth Champion in July and plays for TSV Dachau in the Women's Bundesliga.

TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell

The construction work is complete, and the home of TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell now shines in new splendour: the Hubtex Arena underwent renovation for around a year and a half, forcing the East Hessians to move to the neighbouring smaller hall. Just in time for the new season, the Hubtex Arena is now ready and can accommodate around 850 spectators. However, the TTC will be moving again for the season opener: the match against Borussia Düsseldorf on 29 August will be played in the Esperanto Hall, as it was last year.

SV Werder Bremen

More than just football: SV Werder Bremen not only has a successful football team, but also has other strong departments. The table tennis team has been a permanent fixture in the Bundesliga since its promotion in 2007 and celebrated the German championship in 2013 with Chuang Chih-Yuan, Adrian Crisan, Paul Drinkhall and Constantin Cioti. Last season, the team was in contention for the play-offs for a long time and eventually finished sixth. The chess team, eSports and athletics departments can also look back on various German championship titles and/or cup victories. Werder's women's handball team will also compete in the 2nd Bundesliga in 2025/26.

ASC Grünwettersbach

The 2025/26 season will be a historic one for ASC Grünwettersbach: the team will compete in the Champions League for the first time, making it the only club from Karlsruhe to take part in a European competition. From 29 to 31 August, Grünwettersbach will play in Stage 1 in Novi Sad, Serbia, for a place in the next round. Its opponents in Group D are TTC Ostrava (Czech Republic), AS Pontoise Cergy TT (France) and Real Club Cajasur Priego (Spain). ‘It's not just about points and rankings – it's about development, experience and international visibility,’ writes the ASC on its website. ‘The club is rising to the challenge. Every match counts now.’

TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt

Without the name Duda, TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt would be almost unthinkable in its current form: home-grown player Benedikt Duda has been with the club since 2003, has been playing in the TTBL since 2014 and is once again the great hope for a single-digit league position in the new season. His brother Frederik Duda coaches the team, his father Heinz Duda is the sports director responsible for the team's fortunes, and numerous other family members actively help out at the club and on match days.

Borussia Dortmund

Timo Boll to Borussia Dortmund – this announcement recently caused quite a stir. However, the table tennis superstar is not playing in the TTBL, but is on behalf of the footballers. Boll will be active as a brand ambassador for BVB in the future and is expected to raise the club's profile, particularly in Asia. ‘We are looking forward to many joint activities with Timo and to intensive cooperation in the digital world as well,’ said Managing Director Carsten Cramer about the collaboration. But of course, BVB also wants to make headlines in the TTBL again. After a remarkable ninth place in their debut season, Dortmund has reorganised and brought in three new players: Kristian Karlsson, Adam Szudi and Alberto Mino.

Post SV Mühlhausen

Cramped, loud, explosive: with the Post Hall on historic Kristanplatz, Post SV Mühlhausen has what is probably the most atmospheric arena in the Table Tennis Bundesliga. Since 1998, it has undergone extensive renovation and has been transformed into a gem that can accommodate up to 426 fans – so it's no wonder that home and away players regularly speak reverently of the ‘cauldron’. And even outside the Bundesliga, the hall is regularly packed to the rafters: Erik Schreyer and the Post coaching team are on site almost every day, training players of all ages in both recreational and competitive sports.

TTC OE Clarity Telephony Systems Bad Homburg

The most prominent name at TTC OE Clarity Telefonie-Systeme Bad Homburg is not in the box, but next to it: Helmut Hampl once discovered and promoted players such as Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska, is considered a German coaching legend and has been involved with the Taunus team for four years now. It goes without saying that Bad Homburg is also focusing more on young players: following the departure of Kristian Karlsson, two talented players are joining the team: Jo Yokotani (Japan, 23) and Ivor Ban (Croatia, 22). ‘We are going into the new season with many young players. We have fulfilled the coach's wish,’ said sporting director Sven Rehde to Hessenschau. Right from the start of his tenure, Hampl had spoken of his desire to establish a youth training centre with a view to making Bad Homburg a top German team in the long term.

TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau

The Grenzau location occupies a very special position on the German table tennis map. The six-time German champions are closely linked to the Zugbrücke wellness hotel – both were founded by the current TTC honorary president Manfred Gstettner – which, with its associated table tennis school, has been offering a unique service in Germany for almost five decades. Several professional coaches look after players of all levels on site.

Featured image above: Dang Qiu (Photo: Borussia Düsseldorf)