Chinese fans nostalgic for table tennis legends after World Cup upset

China's Ma Long, one of the greatest table tennis players of all time. Photo by ITTF

It marked the first time since 2017 that a non-Chinese player claimed the title in men's singles.

One fan commented, as cited by the South China Morning Post: "It’s the first time I’ve heard the Brazilian national anthem played at a table tennis tournament, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. Congratulations to Calderano for making history."

While many Chinese fans congratulated Calderano, the result sparked debates within the national fanbase.

Many expressed concern over China's waning dominance. Trending Weibo discussions included "Chinese table tennis needs to reflect on itself," "the legacy of Ma Long and Fan Zhendong," and "comprehensive changes in Chinese table tennis."

Ma Long, 36, is widely regarded as one of the greatest table tennis players in history, being the only male player to win two Olympic gold medals in singles (2016 and 2020), and securing 31 gold medals across the Olympics, World Championships and World Cups. He won the 2024 World Cup but has since stepped away from elite competition.

Fan Zhendong, 28, currently holds the Olympic singles gold medal and has claimed 21 gold medals at major international events. However, Fan withdrew from the world rankings in late 2024 due to disputes over fines imposed for skipping events organized by the World Table Tennis (WTT) body.

The withdrawal of both Ma and Fan left space for rising stars like Lin Shidong, Wang Chuqin and Liang Jingkun. Yet critics have described the new generation as lacking a clear leader. At the recent World Cup in Macau, Wang lost to Calderano in the semi-finals, while Liang was eliminated by Lin. In the final, Calderano convincingly defeated Lin 4-1 to win his first world title.

In February 2025, Chinese table tennis authorities discussed the possibility of putting Ma and Fan back in international tournaments, including skipping penalties for missed events. However, neither legend has returned to competition.

Fan notably missed the 2017 World Cup, 2022 Asian Cup, 2024 Asian Championships and 2025 World Cup, all of which were won by non-Chinese players.

Some observers argue that even a Fan comeback would not guarantee a win against Calderano. According to PingSunday, the two have faced off 10 times, with Fan leading 8-2 in head-to-head matchups.

While the men’s singles crown slipped away, China remains dominant in the women’s game. World number one Sun Yingsha secured the women’s singles title at the 2025 World Cup, continuing China’s domination in the category, with Chinese athletes winning 25 out of 26 editions of the tournament.