Chinese table tennis supporters have called for the national team to reinstate Fan Zhendong following his return to competition this week, showcasing remarkable skills and outstanding performances.
In the inaugural match of the new China Table Tennis Super League (CTTSL) season that wrapped up in Hebei on Wednesday, Fan emerged victorious in all seven of his men's singles matches. This included defeating world No. 1 player Lin Shidong with a score of 3-2.
A Weibo tag celebrating Fan — who doesn’t hold a global ranking — for defeating the number one male player soon became widespread.
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"Ten months since their last international appearance and six months without any matches, but they were still able to defeat the world No. 1 player, Fan remains the king," remarked a commentator.
A different observer remarked: "With no games for 160 days, can you imagine the amount of work he must have invested to stay so competitive?"
Another comment mentioned "The national squad really missed Fan," and added, "His absence was a significant blow to the global table tennis scene."
Fan, along with Chen Meng and Ma Long, opted out of the International Table Tennis Federation rankings last December following the organization’s announcement that they would penalize athletes who skipped certain international competitions.
Since then, Fan hasn’t participated in any official international tournaments, though he has made occasional appearances in both national championships and the Super League following the Paris Games of 2024.
Out of Fang's seven victories in Hebei, three—against Lin Gaoyuan, Xue Fei, and Huang Youzheng—were achieved against opponents who had recently participated in the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Doha.
Fan, who represented Shanghai Zhongxing, mentioned he had "some bodily discomfort" following the initial day of play on Tuesday. Despite being 28 years old, he persisted and kept performing.
The Super League is highly competitive, and I was keen to challenge myself," stated the player from Guangzhou. "I believe I am gradually adapting, perhaps reducing my emotions or expectations.
I'm putting in effort gradually, and I believe I’m progressing quite nicely.
The second-ranked player globally, Wang Chuqin, was among those who lauded his ex-national team colleague.
"The fan's present state is remarkably strong, and nobody claims they can confidently defeat him," stated the 25-year-old athlete from Jilin City.
His abilities, mindset, and expertise have attained an exceptionally high standard, making him a role model for everyone to emulate.
Even though Fan’s team went unbeaten during the three-day stretch, they couldn’t avoid losing two out of their five games. Shanghai ended up tying for third place alongside Huangshi, Sichuan, and Anhui Zhongcheng.
A highly anticipated matchup between Fan and world champion Wang, who represents the defending champions Shandong Weiqiao, failed to materialize as Wang sat out on Wednesday following an episode of hypoglycemia in a prior game.
“I may not have been in top physical shape, yet I continued to give it my best,” stated Wang, mentioning that he needed to recharge with sports drinks and chocolate during the event. He admitted that he hadn’t followed a structured training regimen prior and acknowledged a drop in his skill level, “however, I approached the match with an optimistic mindset.”
In Hebei, Shandong leads the nine-team standings with six victories out of six matches, accumulating 12 points, which puts them three points clear of Shantou Mingrun, who sit in second place.
The second part of the event will take place from July 25 to 28 in Xiamen, Fujian, and Fan is anticipated to participate once more prior to his departure for Germany to compete for 1. FC Saarbrücken in the Table Tennis Bundesliga towards the end of August.
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