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Top 10 Greatest Table Tennis Players of All Time

Table tennis, which is also known as ping pong, is one of the most popular indoor sports in the world. However, the sport enjoys a higher level of popularity in Asian countries, in comparison to the rest of the world. It is played between two individual opponents, or between two pairs.

The International Table Tennis Federation, founded in 1926, is the governing body of the sport. Currently, ITTF has 220 member associations. The sport got included in the Olympic Games in the year 1988. Let us take a look at the Top 10 Greatest Table Tennis Players of All Time.

10. Yoo Nam-Kyu

South Korean table tennis player Yoo Nam-Kyu was born in South Korea, on 4th June 1968. He won a total of 4 medals in the table tennis events of the Olympic Games in his career and is inducted in the tenth place in our list of top 10 greatest table tennis players of all time. Yoo Nam-Kyu achieved a gold medal in Olympics and also achieved three bronze in his active career. He generally uses the Offensive Shake hands grip while playing. He won the men’s doubles together with his partner Ahn Jae-Hyung in the 1988 Summer Olympics. Yoo Nam-Kyu again won the men’s doubles together with his partner Kim Taek-Soo four years later in the 1992 Summer Olympics. His last big achievement came when he won the men’s doubles bronze with Lee Chul-Seung in Atlanta 1996.

9. Chen Jing

Chinese female table tennis player Chen Jing was born in Wuhan, Hubei, China, on 20th September 1968. She won a total of 4 medals in the table tennis events of the Olympic Games in her career and is inducted in the ninth place in our list of top 10 greatest table tennis players of all time. Chen Jing achieved a gold medal in the Olympics, and also achieved two silvers and a bronze in her active career. She generally uses the Shakehand grip while playing. She won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and received the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Chen Jing achieved a gold medal in singles and a silver medal in doubles at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

8. Wang Liqin

Chinese male table tennis player Wang Liqin was born in Shanghai, China, on 18th June 1978. He won a total of 4 medals in the table tennis events of the Olympic Games in his career and is inducted in the eighth place in our list of top 10 greatest table tennis players of all time. Wang Liqin achieved 2 gold medals in the Olympics and also achieved two bronze in his active career. He generally uses the Offensive Shake hands grip while playing. He currently ranked 12th in the International Table Tennis Federation point table as of January, 2014. He held the IITF world no.1 spot for consecutive 25 months from September 2000 to September 2002. Wang Liqin started practicing table tennis at the age of 6 and selected in the Chinese men’s national squad in 1993.

7. Guo Yue

Chinese female table tennis player Guo Yue was born in Anshan, Liaoning, China, on 17th July 1988. She won a total of 4 medals in the table tennis events of the Olympic Games in her career and is inducted in the seventh place in our list of top 10 greatest table tennis players of all time. Guo Yue achieved 2 gold medals in Olympics, and also achieved two bronze in her active career. She generally uses the left handed Shakehand grip while playing. Guo Yue became the World Table Tennis Championship Women’s Team Champion and Asian Cup Champion, and also won the Bronze in the singles at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. She achieved the Women’s singles and Mixed Doubles title at the World Table Tennis Championship in 2007.

6. Qiao Hong

Chinese female table tennis player Qiao Hong was born in Wuhan, Hubei, China, on 21st November 1968. She won a total of 4 medals in the table tennis events of the Olympic Games in her career and is inducted in the sixth place in our list of top 10 greatest table tennis players of all time. Qiao Hong achieved 2 gold medals in the Olympics, and also achieved a silver and a bronze in her active career. She generally uses the Shakehand grip while playing. Qiao Hong with her doubles partner long-time world No. 1 Deng Yaping formed one of the most feared double combos in the history of table tennis and won several titles. She was inducted in the ITTF Hall of Fame in 2005. Qiao Hong is currently also a member of the Chinese Olympic Committee.

5. Liu Guoliang

Chinese male table tennis player Liu Guoliang was born in Xinxiang, Henan, China on 10th January 1976. He won a total of 4 medals in the table tennis events of the Olympic Games in his career and is inducted in the fifth place in our list of top 10 greatest table tennis players of all time. Liu Guoliang achieved 2 gold medals in the Olympics and, also achieved a silver and a bronze in his active career. He generally uses the Offensive Penholder grip while playing. He is the only second player to achieve a career grand slam by winning 3 majors of table tennis, Olympic Gold, World Cup and World Championships. Liu Guoliang is widely considered as the forerunner of the backhand reverse topspin.

4. Zhang Yining

Chinese female table tennis player Zhang Yining was born in Beijing, China, on 5th October 1981. She won a total of 4 medals in the table tennis events of the Olympic Games in her career and is inducted in the fourth place in our list of top 10 greatest table tennis players of all time. Zhang Yining achieved 4 gold medals in the Olympics in her active career. She generally uses the Shakehand grip while playing. She won the gold medal in the women’s single event at the 50th World Table Tennis Championships in 2009 and also won the gold medal in the team event at the 49th World Table Tennis Championships in 2008. Zhang Yining achieved the women’s single gold at the 11th ITTF pro tour grand finals in 2006.

3. Deng Yaping

Chinese female table tennis player Deng Yaping was born in Zhengzhou, Henan, China, on 5th February 1973. She won a total of 4 medals in the table tennis events of the Olympic Games in her career and is inducted in the third place in our list of top 10 greatest table tennis players of all time. Deng Yaping achieved 4 gold medals in the Olympics in her active career. She won the women’s double gold medal in the 40th World Table Tennis Championship in 1989. Deng Yaping also won the women’s team gold medal at the 4th table tennis world cup in 1995. She won the women’s single gold at 43rd World Table Tennis Championship in 1995 and also won the team event at 42nd and 43rd World Table Tennis Championship.

2. Wang Hao

Chinese male table tennis player Wang Hao was born in China on 15th December 1983. He won a total of 5 medals in the table tennis events of the Olympic Games in his career and is inducted in the second place in our list of top 10 greatest table tennis players of all time. Wang Hao achieved 2 gold medals in Olympics and also achieved three silvers in his active career. He generally uses the Offensive Penholder grip while playing. He first became the world champion by defeating 3-time World Champion Wang Liqin in Yokohama, Japan in May 2009. He won the title of men’s singles and men’s double with Chen Qi in the 2009 World Table Tennis Championships. Wang Hao also achieved the World Team Table Tennis Championship title in 2010 in men’s team event.

1. Wang Nan

Chinese female table tennis player Wang Nan was born in Fushun, Liaoning, China, on 23rd October 1978. She won a total of 5 medals in the table tennis events of the Olympic Games in her career and is inducted in the top place in our list of top 10 greatest table tennis players of all time. Wang Nan achieved 4 gold medals in the Olympics and also achieved a silver in her active career. She generally uses the Shakehand grip while playing. Wang Nan achieved a total of 15 titles in the table tennis World Championships and became the winner of the World Cup five times. Wang Nan held the World No.1 spot in the ITTF ranking system from January 1999 to November 2002.

Since its inclusion in the Olympics, table tennis players representing different countries, have managed to bring several medals in the tournament to the countries, and have thus made huge contributions to the sports profile of a country.