Wang Chuqin deemed unworthy of world number one table tennis player

Comments made by veteran Chinese sports journalist Yang Yi about the country's table tennis on April 22 became a trending topic on social media, Sina reported. Though primarily known for his basketball coverage, including exclusive interviews with Chinese NBA stars like Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi, Yang's insights about table tennis are often respected.

"Wang Chuqin is the most followed player in the 60-year history of Chinese table tennis, thanks to the social media era," Yang said. "Back in the days of Zhuang Zedong or Li Furong, fans could only express admiration through handwritten letters."

Wang, 24, boasts over 8.78 million followers on Weibo. Alongside Sun Yingsha, the top-ranked female player, the duo have nearly 20 million followers combined. Both recently competed in the Table Tennis World Cup in Macau, where their popularity helped sell out tickets and draw thousands of fans.

World number one table tennis player Wang Chuqin. Photo by Instagram/@wangchuqin_official

Wang first became world number one in July 2023 and held the position until compatriot Lin Shidong took over in February 2024. Despite the ranking change, many still view Wang as the current face of table tennis men's singles, especially with veterans like Ma Long and Fan Zhendong stepping back from regular international competition.

However, Yang pointed out that Wang has yet to win a major international singles title, including Olympic Games, World Championships or World Cup. His best results are bronze medals at the 2024 and 2025 World Cup and a silver at the 2023 World Championships.

"Wang's rise to number one was largely due to winning points in the WTT system, that's why many people thought he was the best," Yang said, adding that a Chinese player cannot truly be called number one without winning at least one of the three major tournaments.

Lin, 20, also came under fire. Despite winning silver at the 2025 World Cup in Macau, his first medal at a major, he fell short in the final against Brazil's Hugo Calderano, who also defeated Wang in the semifinals.

In the past decade, only two Chinese players, Ma and Fan, have consistently dominated the majors. Ma won two Olympic golds, three World Championships and two World Cup titles. Fan collected one Olympic gold, two World Championships and four World Cup titles.

Outside of China, only Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov (2017 World Cup) and Brazil's Calderano (2025 World Cup) have won major titles during this period.

The next major singles event is the 2025 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, scheduled for May 17–25. With Ma and Fan not participating, the spotlight shifts to Wang, Lin and rising international players.