Ma Long
Liu Guoliang
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Ma Long leads 3 of 4 categories. Our all-time ranking places Ma Long at #1 and Liu Guoliang at #11.
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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 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.