It did play against a male player, as outlined in the article: > Sony AI autonomous robot Ace returns a shot back against its human opponent, table tennis play

It did play against a male player, as outlined in the article: > Sony AI autonomous robot Ace returns a shot back against its human opponent, table tennis player Yamato Kawamata, during a match in December 2025, as seen in this photograph released on April 22, 2026.