Fan Zhendong
Liu Guoliang
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Fan Zhendong leads 3 of 4 categories. Our all-time ranking places Fan Zhendong at #8 and Liu Guoliang at #11.
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The case for Fan Zhendong
The leading player of the late 2010s and early 2020s, Fan Zhendong completed the career Grand Slam by winning Olympic singles gold in Paris 2024, adding to World Championship titles in 2021 and 2023 and three World Cup victories. A compact, explosive left-of-centre power player, he combined a thunderous backhand with heavy forehand topspin and spent long stretches as world number one. He inherited the mantle from Ma Long and led China through the WTT professional era, defeating a rising international field to secure the sport's biggest prizes. Still in his prime, his record already ranks among the elite, and his blend of physicality and modern close-to-table aggression exemplifies where the men's game has moved.
The case for Liu Guoliang
Liu Guoliang was the first man to complete the career Grand Slam, winning the 1996 Olympic singles title, the 1996 World Cup and the 1999 World Championship. A penhold player famous for a deceptive serve and a tricky combination of pimpled and inverted play, he thrived in the 21-point era and led China's fightback against the Swedish golden generation. His playing career was relatively short, but his impact deepened afterward: as head coach he masterminded an era of Chinese dominance, guiding the likes of Zhang Jike and Ma Long, before becoming a powerful administrator. Few figures have shaped the sport so completely from both sides of the table, first as a Grand Slam champion, then as its most influential coach.