Gouda made history as the first African player to reach the quarter-finals on the world stage.
Her campaign ended in a tightly contested 4-3 defeat to Sun Yingsha, the Paris Olympic silver medallist and current world No. 1.
She described the tournament as her best performance to date but admitted frustration at missing out on a medal after coming close to securing a semi-final berth.
“Reaching the quarter-finals is an achievement I’m proud of, but at the same time, I feel a bit disappointed,” Gouda wrote on her official Instagram account, adding that she had been “very close” to advancing further.
The Egyptian player said she had pushed herself intensely in pursuit of a podium finish, which may have affected her ability to close out the decisive match. “Maybe even too much… perhaps that’s why it was so difficult to finish the match, even though I had two chances to win,” she noted.
Despite the loss, Gouda struck an optimistic tone, emphasising the progress she has made. “There is so much to be proud of and so much to learn. I feel like I’m getting closer, and that’s what motivates me to work even harder every day,” she said.
Gouda also paid tribute to her coaching and support team, thanking coach Hesham Ismail and fitness coach Mohamed El-Sayed for their efforts, as well as teammates Omar Assar, Mariam Alhodaby and Dina Meshref for their support during the tournament.
She extended her appreciation to supporters and sponsors, expressing hope that her World Cup performance would mark “the beginning of a series of better results in the future.”
Gouda’s quarter-final appearance marks a significant milestone for Egyptian table tennis on the global stage. She progressed through the group stage with straight-set victories over Macau’s Leong On Na and Taiwan’s Cheng I-Ching, before edging France’s Jia Yuan 4-3 in the round of 16.
In recognition of her achievement, Minister of Youth and Sports Gohar Nabil received Gouda following her return from the tournament in China.
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