Westchester Table Tennis Center’s March Open Awards Its Millionth Dollar in Prize Money
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by Warren Rosenberg, MetroSports Magazine - April 2, 2026
The Westchester Table Tennis Center reached an historic milestone during its March 2026 Westchester Open, becoming one of the few table-tennis venues in the United States to surpass $1 million in cumulative prize money awarded through its long-running monthly tournaments.
Held on the weekend of March 28–29 at its facility in Pleasantville, NY, the center’s March Open, a USA Table Tennis (USATT) a four-star event, featured $10,000 in prize money allocated among the winners and including $3,000 for the winner of the Open Singles event. At the close of this weekend’s event the total pool of prize money distributed reached $1,003,295. This stands as the most money ever awarded by a U.S. table tennis club and surpasses the total awarded by USA Table Tennis, the sport’s governing body.
The Westchester Open has grown steadily since its debut more than a decade ago. Hosted monthly at the Westchester Table Tennis Center, the tournament attracts hundreds of players ranging from local amateurs to international professionals.
Each event typically offers multiple rating-based divisions alongside the premier Open Singles event, allowing players of different skill levels to compete for prizes and ranking points.
Over the years, the Westchester Open has featured players from across the United States and around the world. Past finals have included competitors from countries such as France, Nigeria, China, and Poland, highlighting the tournament’s increasingly international field.
Large draws are common, with some tournaments attracting 200 or more players and several competitors rated above 2600 in the U.S. rating system.
Founded and owned by Will Shortz, crossword puzzle editor of The New York Times, the Westchester Table Tennis Center has grown into one of the premier table tennis facilities in the United States. Westchester has consistently occupied the #1 position on the USATT Club Leaderboard. Among the approximately 250 USA Table Tennis Clubs nationwide, the Westchester Table Tennis Center is widely regarded as the premier table-tennis facility in North America and hosts leagues, training programs, and major tournaments throughout the year. In addition to its monthly Opens, the club has welcomed regional championships, collegiate championships, charity events, and international exhibitions.
Recent international competitors have included Robert Gardos (Austria), Enzo Angles (France), Eric Jouti (Brazil), Olajide Omotayo (Nigeria), Ibrahima Diaw (Senegal), Saheed Idowu (Congo), and Jann Mari Nayre (Philippines). In addition to its monthly Opens, Westchester hosts special events such as the USATT's Northeast Regionals, the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association Northeast Championships, and the New York State Championships.
Beyond its competitive acclaim, Westchester has played a pioneering role in using table tennis as a tool for health and wellness. In March 2017, the center became the birthplace of PingPongParkinson, an international movement aimed at helping individuals with Parkinson’s disease through regular table tennis play. Scientific studies have shown that the sport can help delay and mitigate the effects of the disease, making Westchester a place where table tennis truly changes lives. PingPongParkinson operates a weekly event out of the club where players diagnosed with Parkinson’s participate in physical exercises and table tennis practice.
The club also offers a wide range of training opportunities - from beginner group classes to one-on-one coaching with internationally experienced instructors - and hosts weekly league nights and summer camps that engage players of all ages.
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