In a sentence

He did “a prodigy’s rise” and “a late blooming” one after the other — two things that usually contradict each other.

Playing style

  • Two-winged loop of balanced quality, nearly every ball capable of scoring outright
  • Strong in physical duels, steady and unwilling to retreat in mid- and long-distance rallies
  • Quick transition in the first three balls, with no obvious gap between attacking and rallying

Career and key moments

He was seen as the future core of Chinese men’s table tennis while still a teenager, won the World Cup men’s singles four times from 2016, and took the World Championships men’s singles title in Houston 2021 and Durban 2023. At the Paris 2024 Olympics he won men’s singles gold and the men’s team title, completing a Grand Slam. On 27 December 2024 he announced his withdrawal from the world ranking over WTT’s withdrawal-fine rules, making clear he was not retiring, and triggered a global debate about competition rules. In 2025 he won men’s singles at the National Games.

What he left the game

His meaning goes beyond the honors: that public statement at the end of 2024 was the first time top players collectively put “are the rules fair?” on the table, and it directly pushed the ITTF to set up a dedicated working group.

In a sentence: The moment he spoke, he was also playing a harder match to win on behalf of every player.