The Zhang siblings returned to the stage after a three-year hiatus, but were unable to reach the semifinals of the WTT Ljubljana event.

On June 20 local time, in a mixed doubles quarterfinal match at the 2025 WTT Star Challenge in Ljubljana, the Japanese sibling duo of Tomokazu Zhang (21, Toyota) and Mizuki Zhang (17, Kinoshita Group) lost 1-3 to the South Korean pair of Jeoung Young-sik (28) and Shin Yu-bin (20).

Tomokazu Zhang/Mizuki Zhang

After approximately three years, the Zhang siblings reunited in mixed doubles and fought hard in the first round, defeating the Chinese pair.Huang Youzheng/Chen YiThey narrowly advanced. In the second round, they faced the formidable South Korean duo of Jeoung Young-sik/Shin Yu-bin, who had won bronze medals at the Paris Olympics and the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships.

The Zhang siblings fell behind as the South Korean pair scored first, reaching a set point at 10-6. From there, the Zhang siblings rallied to score four points, leveling the score at 10-10. However, they ultimately lost the first set 10-12 after being outplayed by their opponents.

The strong South Korean duo of Jeoung Young-sik/Shin Yu-bin

In the second set, the Zhang duo initially led 4-1, but were visibly suppressed by the South Koreans during the match, ultimately losing 8-11 and falling two sets behind, facing elimination.

With no way out, the Zhang duo performed well in the third set, effectively coordinating their right-handed play and frequently using backhand sidespin shots (Chiquita style) to win 11-7. However, in the fourth set, they struggled to counter the flawless scoring streak of the South Korean pair, ultimately losing 11-13 as Tomokazu Zhang could not maintain his forehand. Japanese media commented post-match that although this was the Zhang siblings' return to the stage after three years, they ultimately succumbed to the long-established duo of Jeoung Young-sik/Shin Yu-bin on the international stage.

Tomokazu Zhang/Mizuki Zhang were defeated by the strong South Korean duo Jeoung Young-sik/Shin Yu-bin in the quarterfinals, missing out on the semifinals.

<2025 WTT Star Challenge Ljubljana Mixed Doubles Quarterfinal>

Tomokazu Zhang/Mizuki Zhang 1-3 Jeoung Young-sik/Shin Yu-bin