[China Table Tennis Chronicle] World champion WANG Chuqin’s unvarnished true feelings. “I can’t find any enjoyment in matches”

●Published in O-KOKU December 2026 issue

A mixture of gems and stones! Hundreds of flowers in full bloom! From the latest news to trivia, we bring you every kind of story about Chinese table tennis! [China Table Tennis Chronicle]

China saw its men’s team winning streak at the Asian Games come to a stop at “8,” but still finished the event with 11 medals: 6 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze.

By Taro, Editorial Department At the Asian Games and China Smash, a huge number of fans waited outside the venue to greet the players. Thinking back, the same was true at the 2017 National Games, where Zhang Jike had a huge crowd waiting for him. The history of passionate fan groups is already quite long.

WANG Chuqin did not look sharp in the Team Event

Pressure and exhaustion corner the champion. Can WANG Chuqin shine again?

In the table tennis competition at the 19th Asian Games, held in Hangzhou, China, in 2023, WANG Chuqin achieved an unprecedented four titles in the men’s events.
But three years later at this event, he shockingly finished without a single gold medal. After the men’s Singles Final, he said, “I don’t really know the reason myself, but I feel exhausted all the time” and “I can’t get back to the feeling I used to have, when I loved being on the court, and I can’t find the joy in playing matches.”

The confession from superstar WANG Chuqin, who enjoys immense popularity, became a major topic even within China. What drew attention was that these were not comments made for a particular Chinese media outlet, but official remarks. It is rare for a top Chinese player to speak so candidly about his state of mind, which only shows how deeply he must be “exhausted.”

In the regular season of the Super League held this July, WANG Chuqin’s long-standing shoulder issue worsened. He took a full rest in August to prepare for the Asian Games, but during matches at this event he reportedly experienced pain in his shoulder and knee. After the tournament, he was announced as a withdrawal from China Smash, along with LIN Shidong, and he also did not compete at the Asian Championships.

The tape on WANG Chuqin’s knee was painful to look at as well