Zhang Yining
Fan Zhendong
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Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Zhang Yining leads 2 of 4 categories. Our all-time ranking places Zhang Yining at #4 and Fan Zhendong at #8.
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The case for Zhang Yining
Zhang Yining was the defining women's player of the 2000s, a complete attacker who dominated with power and consistency. She won four Olympic gold medals, singles and doubles at Athens 2004 and singles and team at Beijing 2008, plus World Championship singles titles in 2005 and 2009 and a remarkable run of Women's World Cup victories, completing the career Grand Slam. For much of the decade she was virtually unbeatable in major finals, blending relentless topspin with tactical composure. Retiring in 2009 as one of the most successful players in history, she bridged the Deng Yaping and Ding Ning eras and set the standard of all-round excellence that the Chinese women's programme has demanded ever since.
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.