Marcelo Aguirre: TTBL player of the month after beating world champions!

Marcelo Aguirre: TTBL player of the month after beating world champions!

On November 5th, 2025 there will be reason to be happy for table tennis fans in Bremen. Werder Bremen player Marcelo Aguirre was voted “TTBL Player of the Month for October”. This title results from an online survey among supporters of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL). Aguirre received an impressive 53 percent of the vote, making him the clear favorite. Dang Qiu from Borussia Düsseldorf came in second with 20 percent.

The recognition for Aguirre is no coincidence. His spectacular victory over Olympic champion Fan Zhendong, considered one of the best players in the world, was the highlight of the month. In the clash with 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT, Aguirre won the singles game 3-0 (12:10, 11:6, 11:6). This triumph contributed significantly to his team's 3-2 win and secured them a favorable starting position in the race for the play-off places in the TTBL.

Aguirre's recognition and support

The celebration of Aguirre's selection as Player of the Month has made waves not only in Germany, but also in his home country of Paraguay. Aguirre reported a flood of congratulations and support from his homeland, which visibly moved him. He described the award as a great honor for himself and his team and emphasized that he could not have been so successful without the trust of his coach Cristian Tamas and team manager Sascha Greber.

However, the past year was not always easy for 30-year-old Agirre. He was previously ranked 173rd in the world rankings and had only won one game in the previous season. However, with his performance in October, Aguirre has now impressively shown that he has the potential to overcome the ups and downs of the sport.

A look at the competition

The shortlist for the election included not only Aguirre, but also other talented players such as Benedikt Duda (TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt), Kanak Jha (Borussia Düsseldorf) and Anders Lind (Borussia Dortmund). But no one could match Aguirre's impressive performance and his win against Zhendong, which is considered a career highlight. In fact, Fan Zhendong has only suffered 21 defeats against non-Chinese players in his entire career - another indication of the quality of Aguirre's triumph.

In conclusion, Aguirre's success is not only a personal triumph, but also a ray of hope for Werder Bremen, who are determined to fight for the play-off places. The future looks bright for Aguirre, Werder Bremen and the TTBL, especially if he continues to show such remarkable performances. Fans can look forward to an exciting season!

For more information about Aguirre and the TTBL, check out the Werder website Werder or the Tischtennis Bundesliga.