Why they rank here
A towering right-hander with one of the most powerful forehand loops the game has seen, Wang Liqin won three World Championship singles titles, in 2001, 2005 and 2007, a haul matched by very few. He spent extended periods as world number one and anchored China's team through the 2000s, adding Olympic team and doubles golds. The great gap in his record is an Olympic singles title, which repeatedly eluded him, denying him the career Grand Slam despite his stature. Blending classical two-wing technique with imposing physicality, he was the dominant force between the Kong Linghui and Ma Lin generations and the Ma Long era, a three-time world champion whose peak would headline almost any other nation.
Career profile
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