When the Roger Federer of table tennis comes to Frankfurt there is great excitement, both in front of the scenes and behind it. During the match, Ma Long was frantically celebrated by the spectators and was almost besieged by Chinese journalists. And then he disappeared again. It is difficult for non-Chinese journalists to get hold of him. If a short conversation does happen unexpectedly, you experience an unusual Ma Long.
If he appears dominant at the plate and develops an aura that inspires additional respect from his opponents, he answers questions almost shyly and in a high, quiet voice. His unparalleled dominance over many years has earned the 35-year-old the nickname “Dictator”. In 2015, 2017 and 2019 he became individual world champion, and in 2016 and 2021 he won individual gold at the Olympic Games. No one before him managed to win the sporting pinnacle for table tennis players twice.
“Every game is a new beginning”
His great successes were anything but expected. For a long time, Ma Long was seen as a highly talented problem child in the Chinese team who lost his nerve in crucial situations. But then there was a boost in performance, due to a change in material after his defeat in the 2013 World Cup semi-finals, as Ma told in an interview with “fellow legend” Timo Boll and his web coach platform 2020. Afterwards he felt more confident and won his first world title in 2015. His further development was also crucial for the turnaround. His game became more complete, was no longer based only on his brutal forehand topspin, but he could now also cause problems for his opponent with his backhand, be it with a lot of spin or hard at high speed.
However, the enormous dominance waned somewhat for the first time in 2018, as injuries continued to bother him. He was able to continue to deliver at the sporting highlights and won at the 2019 World Cup and the 2021 Olympics. “For me, every game is a new beginning,” explains the business and management graduate, explaining his recipe for success. But the fact that he didn’t end his career after winning the Olympics is surprising in many ways. On the one hand, it is unusual for Chinese to still play at such an advanced age. On the other hand, by ending his career he could have maintained his dictator status and the impression of invincibility.
Instead, another break due to injury followed in the winter, which prevented him from participating and thus defending his title at the World Cup in Houston. There were no further major successes. At this year’s World Cup in Durban, South Africa, he had to admit defeat to his compatriot Wang Chuqin in the semifinals. Why does he continue to endure the hardships and hard training even though he has already won all the major titles several times? “I just love the game. If I stopped now, it would hurt my heart,” Ma replies.
Surprised at himself
As long as he can still keep up, he wants to play. “For me it’s no longer just about winning or losing.” He enjoys playing too much. As long as he doesn’t suffer too many defeats, he doesn’t want to stop. But Ma still performs at an extremely high level and is still number three in the world. What is a weak phase for him would mean a high phase for other players. And so Ma Long is surprised that even at 35 he can keep up with the best. “When I was a kid, I didn’t think I could play for so long either,” says Ma.
Thomas Klemm, Frankfurt Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3 Florian Richter, Frankfurt Published/Updated: Recommendations: 4 Florian Richter Published/Updated: Recommendations: 6
Now he has his sights firmly set on Paris 2024. “Every event before the Olympic Games is very important to me,” he emphasizes. “If I win my games and perform well at a tournament like this, where the best 32 are there, it definitely gives me self-confidence.” Will his current performance be enough for an individual nomination? Questionable. In China, an internal ranking system decides who is nominated for the individual, mixed and team competition. Important criteria are the world rankings and important tournaments. However, the past has shown that in China even the world number one can be denied a starting place.
However, you can get a little insight into the ranking structures if you ask Ma about his chances of taking part in the individual competition. “Not that high,” he replied, laughing somewhat resignedly. A remarkably clear answer for the otherwise reserved Chinese. But Ma Long doesn’t give up. He obviously wants to continue working on his legendary status and advance into new dimensions. It’s not just in his hands. Higher Chinese powers will also judge this.
