The chopper who stunned the world by defeating China in the World Championships Final: Honoka Hashimoto

Honoka Hashimoto defeated China in the Final of the 2026 World Championships in London.
There is equipment she has trusted and used for a long time.

Her racket is the Goriki Super Cut, the forehand Rubber is HURRICANE III NATIONAL RUBBER BLUE SPONGE, and the backhand Rubber is DO Knucle.

Hashimoto talked about her equipment.

"What I look for is a racket that lets me hit with a feel close to my own hand. It shouldn’t bounce too much, and it also shouldn’t be too dead — the best is when I can hit with a truly natural feel. Compared with other rackets for choppers, 'Goriki' has a thinner blade, but that actually makes it much easier to Chop with. Because it doesn’t rebound too much, my Chops are stable.

'DO Knuckle' has an ultra-thin Sponge, making it easy to vary whether I 'cut' the Spin or not, and it’s a Rubber that also allows attacking. Even in the World Championships Final against China, the opponent disliked my backhand Chops and Pushes, so they tended to send Pushes and Drives to my forehand side. That’s why I try to use backhand variations as much as possible"

For a chopper, shoes that can withstand intense movement in all directions are also important. "I’ve been using 'Moving Ace' for about two years and really love them. Shoes are truly important for a chopper. Choppers make big lateral movements, and also move intensely forward and backward. What matters is that when you contact the Floor, there’s less impact transferred directly to the feet and body, and above all, that the foot doesn’t shift inside the shoe. 'Moving Ace' clears both of those points, and it’s an indispensable pair for my play."

▼ Honoka Hashimoto’s racket

▼ DO Knuclkle

▼ Goriki Super Cut