(by Steve Hopkins)

Another big announcement could cause seismic shifts in the upcoming 2025-26 TTBL.  Hugo Calderano, the top ranked player in the German Bundesliga has announced he will not play in the league next year.

The TTBL changes each year as player contracts cause movement from team to team, and various players retire or move one.  However, this year is the last year for Timo Boll, a fixture on first place Borussia Dusseldorf, and Simon Gauzy has already announced that he is leaving second place Ochsenhausen.  Calderano’s announcement means the top two players on Ochsenhausen are both set to depart – leaving them to rebuild next year.

Despite being the top ranked player in the league, Calderano is seldom the top point scorer.  This is due to a combination of his home being in Brazil and his need to play in major events in Asia and South America.  Currently, he is sixth in total points among TTBL players – though he is 7-1 overall, which makes him one of the three most dominant players when he is present (along with Ovtcharov and Qiu).

Calderano has been an anchor of the TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen squad for nine seasons.  His announced plan is o focus solely on his international singles career. While in Ochsenhausen, Calderano was a part of several Bundesliga championships and the recent 2025 German Cup title.  He developed while playing in Ochsenhausen, moving up the rankings – and he has helped with the development of other players, watching Simon Gauzy improve greatly as a teammate and practice partner.  The same can be said of USA’s Jha who played alongside Calderano for a time as well.

Major changes are coming to the Bundesliga next year with a reshaping of Dusseldorf after Boll, and the rebuilding of Ochsenhausen without its two stars.  Bergneustadt will also be losing its top point-getter as Kanak Jha will be moving to Dusseldorf.  The current season is not yet over, so fans can enjoy watching Calderano in these final playoff matches.

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