Ma Long also disappeared from the world rankings updated on Tuesday. Image: getty
The main table Tennis circuit faces a wave of protests and suffers the resignations of several players. Latest withdrawal? That of Ma Long, legend of the discipline.
The six-time Olympic table tennis champion has “disappeared”. Still eighth best player in the world a few days ago, Ma Long no longer appears in the ranking updated Tuesday by the International Table Tennis Federation (IITF).
His withdrawal has not been commented on. At 36, Long may simply want to end his career. However, his resignation could well be justified differently, because it follows two other important departures, which have been argued.
Fan Zhendong, Olympic singles and team champion in August in Paris, announced on December 27 that he was leaving the world circuit, due to fines imposed on players for non-participation in tournaments. “Recently, World Table Tennis (ed: the world circuit) issued a new rule according to which fines will be imposed if you do not participate in its tournaments. I cannot afford this and, if I respect this organization, I can only decide to withdraw,” he declared on the Chinese social network Weibo. He regrets the fact of not being able to choose the tournaments in which he wishes to participate, in an already saturated calendar.
But also the heavy sanctions inflicted on athletes, in a sport where prize money has nothing to do with the prizes awarded to tennis players, despite an announced increase of 20%.
Zhendong was followed by his compatriot Chen Meng, 30, who also won two gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. If the latter explains her departure by a failing physique, she also points to the regulations of World Table Tennis (WTT), a circuit comparable to the ATP or the WTA to continue the parallel with tennis.
“After the Olympic Games, the intensity of physical training and the accumulated mental stress reached new heights. I needed a period to get back into shape and make decisions for the rest of my career based on my physical shape. Due to the new rules on non-participations and fines decided by the WTT, and the fact that my body can no longer withstand the intensity of high-level competition, out of respect for the organization, I signed the document and made the decision to withdraw from the world circuit”
Chen Meng
The Chinese Chen Meng won the women’s singles as well as the team competition in Paris.image: Keystone
These announcements are a real thunderclap in the industry, a bit as if in tennis, we suddenly lost Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff due to a deep disagreement with the authorities. It would be a huge earthquake.
The WTT, commercial subsidiary of the International Table Tennis Federation, responsible in particular for the organization of the main circuit, immediately reacted to the athletes’ remarks. “These rules, which include the automatic registration of the best table tennis players, are not new and have been in place since the creation of the WTT four years ago. The objective is to ensure the presence of the best players during major WTT events, to preserve the integrity of the competition and offer events of the best quality for players, fans and all partners. she wrote in her press release.
“Sanctions for non-participation are designed to support the structure of the WTT schedule. They are applied, except in cases of proven medical reasons, to maintain the balance of the competition, ensure consistency and maintain fairness for all participants,” added the organization. The latter, however, clarified that higher fines will be applied in 2025 for players who choose to participate in non-WTT events taking place during those of the WTT from which they have withdrawn. This scenario can for example exist when a table tennis player prefers to participate in a tournament close to his home rather than traveling to the other side of the world, whether for personal, sporting or financial reasons.
This sharp response from the world body did not satisfy Frenchman Simon Gauzy, team bronze medalist in Paris. “I do not accept your explanations. You are not proposing any changes and we are losing legends of our sport because of these “rules”. You can’t ignore that this doesn’t help us. Things really need to change,” he shared on his X account.
Simon Gauzy, ranked 37th player in the world as of December 31, 2024.image: Keystone
This is not the first time that the world circuit has been criticized. At the start of 2024, some world-class players spoke in the columns of West France. They warned against a lack of freedom of expression and the existence of a certain omerta. “Players’ freedom of expression is clearly restricted. Any comments that go against World Table Tennis may lead to sanctions,” admitted a table tennis player anonymously. A rare player to speak publicly, Gauzy also denounced the aberration of prize money. “We are nothing more than horses, good at playing and bringing in money,” echoed another athlete, eager to protect his name.
Perhaps it’s not so much the few changes planned for 2025 that are forcing talent to flee and come into conflict with World Table Tennis. But rather the overall management of the circuit since the WTT replaced the ITTF World Tour, and this, in a pure commercial logic.
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