Ma Long

With a record 64 months spent as the world number one player, Ma Long stands as the most dominant force in professional table tennis history. Born in Anshan in 1988, he refined his craft at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and eventually secured his place in the ITTF Hall of Fame in 2013.

Early Career and Rapid Development

Ma Long emerged on the global stage as the youngest world champion at age 17 following the 2006 Bremen World Team Championship. His early development involved guidance from former national team coach Ma Kai Xuan and Wang Hao, before he eventually studied under Qin Zhijian. Before turning 22, he achieved 8 victories across 11 ITTF World Tour tournament finals. During this formative period, he also secured two Asian Cup titles and two World Tour Grand Finals trophies.

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Overcoming Obstacles

Despite a 560-day winning streak on the ITTF World Tour, Ma faced a significant setback when he was excluded from the 2012 Olympic singles event due to a temporary ratings dip. During this era, national coach Liu Guoliang noted his technical prowess was balanced by struggles with mental toughness during high-pressure semifinals, particularly against competitors like Wang Hao. These tactical challenges fueled his determination to break through on the major tournament circuit.

Dominance and The Grand Slam

Ma Long eventually established an unprecedented era of consistency. He secured consecutive World Championship singles titles in 2015, 2017, and 2019. His 2015 campaign was particularly successful, losing only once in international competition throughout the entire year. By capturing gold at both the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, he became the only male athlete to complete a career double Grand Slam. His performance record led the International Table Tennis Federation to assign him the nicknames The Dictator and The Dragon.

Records and International Status

Ma currently holds the distinction of winning 6 gold medals at the Summer Olympics, which stands as the highest count for any table tennis athlete in history. This milestone also marks the record for the most Olympic gold medals won by any Chinese athlete. He surpassed Wang Liqin for the most ITTF World Tour singles titles earned by a player representing China, further cementing his statistical lead in the sport.