Ma Long
Fan Zhendong
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Ma Long leads 2 of 4 categories. Our all-time ranking places Ma Long at #1 and Fan Zhendong at #8.
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The case for Ma Long
Widely regarded as the greatest player in history, Ma Long is the only man to complete the career Grand Slam twice, winning each of the World Championship, World Cup and Olympic singles titles at least twice. He took Olympic singles gold in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 and claimed World Championship titles in 2015, 2017 and 2019. His six Olympic gold medals, across singles and team events, make him the most decorated Olympic table tennis player ever and one of China's most successful Olympians. Nicknamed the Dragon, he combined complete two-wing technique, relentless footwork and a run atop the world rankings measured in years, dominating through the plastic-ball transition that unsettled rivals.
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.