Harvard Smashes Expectations with Table Tennis Victory

How strategy and camaraderie brought Harvard back to the podium.

What do you get when you combine Olympians, Ivy League grit, and a first-year phenom with killer reflexes? A championship run no one saw coming.

The 2025 College Table Tennis National Championships, held in front of a roaring crowd and streamed live across four competition tables, was not just a display of athleticism, but also a culmination of strategy, grit, and a rare kind of team cohesion. Both the co-ed and women’s teams qualified, sending a sizable Crimson contingent to the national stage. But it was the women’s team that made history, clinching a bronze in the team event and a national title in singles.

“It was electric,” says Levi Romanov (HBS ‘25), who competed as a player and served as one of the team’s coaches. “We were playing against Olympians, and every point was a battle. The atmosphere felt like a professional arena, not a college tournament.”

Bronze Earned, Not Given

The first breakthrough came in the women’s team event. After a nail-biting 2-2 tie against NYU, the entire tournament seemed to hinge on the final doubles match.

“All eyes were on Marianne Wang (College ‘28) and Kelly Yenn (College ‘28),” Romanov recalls. “We were on the edge of our seats, screaming for every point.”

Harvard edged past NYU in a reversal of the regional tournament just weeks prior, where NYU had prevailed. The difference this time, Romanov notes, was preparation and adaptation: “We changed the roster, trained harder, and came in more focused. It showed.”

In a stunning display of sportsmanship and strategy, the Harvard co-ed team actually forfeited its ongoing match so that players could pivot fully to the women’s side. “We made a collective decision,” Romanov says. “The chance to support the women’s team and help secure Harvard’s first medal in over a decade was more important.”

Kelly Yenn: A Star is Born

That bronze would have been a historic milestone on its own, but the real crowning moment came when Kelly Yenn won the women’s singles title, the best individual result Harvard has ever seen at the NCTTA.

“Kelly was on another level,” Romanov says. “She was scouting her opponents, crafting tactics, adjusting mid-game, all while carrying the mental composure of a seasoned professional.”

The victory didn’t just happen. It was built on months of structured, intentional preparation. In the leadup to nationals, the team ramped up training to three times a week and prioritized team-wide performance over individual egos. Every aspect of the team’s operations was optimized thanks to behind-the-scenes efforts by Jingting Lin (HMS) and Emily Ding (College ‘26), who managed everything from fundraising to travel logistics.

Romanov also credited the team’s chemistry and culture: “Stephanie Chen (HMS ‘26) was our culture carrier, planning events, running the social media, keeping spirits high. She helped create the kind of team that plays for each other, not just with each other.”

The Coach’s Box and a Changed Perspective

Romanov, an Australian native with a background in competitive table tennis, had once medaled nationally himself. But after nearly a decade away from the sport, he returned not as a star player, but as a coach and mentor.

“I didn’t expect to play at a high level again,” he says. “But coaching — being in the box while the women’s team clinched bronze and while Kelly won the final — that brought me more pride than anything I ever achieved as an athlete.”

His journey back into the arena became something deeper than nostalgia. It reshaped his career thinking.

“Being pulled out of the MBA bubble and into a fast-paced, team-oriented, high-stakes environment reminded me [of] what I love: solving problems in real time, building systems, helping others thrive. It felt a lot like my operator role at a scale-up before HBS.”

In fact, the entire experience crystallized something for him: “I used to consider MBA roles where I’d be more of an individual contributor. Now I know that’s not me. I want to build and lead teams.”

A New Era for Harvard Table Tennis?

The triumphs at nationals are already yielding results. Two high-level recruits have committed to Harvard for next year, citing both the competitive program and the close-knit team culture.

“We could win gold next year,” Romanov says.

But that vision depends on continued support — something that’s historically been in short supply for club sports. This year’s trip to nationals wouldn’t have been possible without generous donations from alumni and grants secured by Harvey Lin (College ‘26). Romanov hopes that medals on the national stage will lead to more consistent funding and alumni engagement going forward.

“We’ve proven what Harvard table tennis can be,” he says. “Now it’s time to build on it.”

From the roar of the championship floor to the quiet grind of weekly practices, the 2025 season was proof that Harvard’s table tennis team isn’t just playing to participate anymore. They’re playing to win.

Michelle Yu (MBA ‘26) is passionate about all things media, with experience in business news, documentary film, broadcast journalism, and television. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Film and Media Studies and worked for CNBC, NBC News, and CNN prior to HBS, along with projects for HBO, Showtime, Oxygen, and Spectrum.