Where He Fits

Standing beside Waldner’s spotlight, he never wavered — because his backhand was recognized as the best in the world throughout that era.

Playing Style

  • Backhand loops and backhand punches of the very highest quality, widely regarded as the strongest of his generation
  • Strong left-side defense-to-attack conversion, able to counter-attack directly from passive positions
  • Excellent physical strength in exchanges, never at a disadvantage in mid-to-far-distance rallies

Career and Key Moments

1991 was Persson’s year — he won the men’s singles title at the World Championships in Chiba and added the World Cup men’s singles crown the same season. As a pillar of the Swedish team he lived through all four of Sweden’s World Championships men’s team titles in 1989, 1991, 1993 and 2000, a crucial piece of the Swedish dynasty. His playing career stretched past twenty years, and in 2008 the ITTF honored him with a special achievement award.

What He Left Behind

He raised the status of the backhand in men’s table tennis by a full level. The systematized backhand development that followed traces its roots back to this generation of European players.

Remember this: being the second man in a great team is far harder than being the first man in a weak one.