Xu Xin (born January 8, 1990, Xuzhou, Jiangsu) is a legendary Chinese table tennis player, widely regarded as one of the greatest doubles players in history, known for his penhold grip and exceptional left-handed play. Nicknamed “Anaconda” for his long reach and defensive abilities, he has achieved remarkable success across singles, doubles, and team competitions throughout his illustrious career.
Early Life & Junior Career (1995–2006)
Year
Milestone
Significance
1995
Starts playing table tennis at age 5 in a sports school
Begins his table tennis journey
2004
Wins 3 gold medals (team, singles, doubles) at World Junior Challenge
First major international success
2006
February: Selected for China’s national second teamOctober: Promoted to national first team, coached by Qin Zhi jian
Officially joins elite Chinese table tennis program
Rise to Prominence (2007–2012)
Year
Milestone
Significance
2007
First World Championships appearance (round of 16 in doubles)Wins first Chinese National Championships men’s doubles title (with Wang Liqin)
Marks beginning of doubles dominance; first national title
2008
Becomes Chinese Super League champion with Shanghai Zhongxing TTC
Domestic professional league success
2009
Wins men’s doubles silver at Yokohama World Championships (with Ma Long)Helps China win World Cup team goldClaims first ITTF World Tour titles (Slovenian, Danish, Qatar Opens)
First world championship medal; establishes international presence
2010
Wins World Team Championships goldGuangzhou Asian Games: mixed doubles gold, team gold, men’s doubles silver
First world team title; first Asian Games medals
2011
Rotterdam World Championships: men’s doubles gold (with Zhang Jike)Wins multiple World Tour titles (English, Qatar Opens)
First world championship individual gold; doubles dominance continues
2012
World Team Championships goldITTF World Tour Grand Finals: singles champion (defeats Zhang Jike)Asian Cup: singles champion (defeats Maharu Yoshimura)
First Grand Finals singles title; first Asian Cup title; one of only three penhold grip players to win Grand Finals singles
World Number One & Singles Breakthrough (2013–2016)
Year
Milestone
Significance
Jan 2013
Reaches world No. 1 singles ranking for the first time
First major singles career milestone
2013
World Championships: singles bronze (loses to Zhang Jike in semis)World Cup: singles gold (defeats Vladimir Samsonov)Defends Asian Cup singles titleWins World Tour Grand Finals singles again (defeats Ma Long)
Becomes China’s first left-handed singles world champion; joins elite club of players to defend Grand Finals singles title
2014
March 2014–March 2015: Reclaims world No. 1 singles rankingIncheon Asian Games: singles gold, team gold, doubles silverAsian Cup: singles silver
First Asian Games singles title; extends world dominance
2015
Suzhou World Championships: mixed doubles gold (with Yang Ha-eun, Korea) – first international mixed doubles pair to win since 1966; men’s doubles gold (with Zhang Jike)Asian Cup: singles champion (fourth title overall)
Historic mixed doubles win; doubles excellence continues; equals record for most Asian Cup singles titles
2016
Kuala Lumpur World Team Championships: gold, named MVP (defeats Jun Mizutani in final)Rio Olympics: team gold (with Ma Long, Zhang Jike)Asian Cup: singles champion (fourth title, ties record with Ma Long)Marries table tennis player Yao Yan
Olympic gold medal; record-tying Asian Cup titles; personal milestone
Sustained Excellence & Tokyo Olympics (2017–2021)
Year
Milestone
Significance
2017
World Championships: singles bronzeWorld Cup: singles silver (loses to Fan Zhendong)Asian Championships: team gold, mixed doubles gold
Consistent world-class performance
2019
Budapest World Championships: mixed doubles gold (with Liu Shiwen, “Xinwen Lianbo”)Asian Championships: team gold, mixed doubles gold, doubles goldReaches world No. 2 singles ranking
Second mixed doubles world title; doubles dominance continues
2021
Tokyo Olympics (postponed from 2020):• Mixed doubles: silver (with Liu Shiwen, loses to Mizutani/Ito 3-4)• Team: gold (with Ma Long, Fan Zhendong)
Becomes two-time Olympic champion; first Olympic mixed doubles silver medalist
World Championships: 5 team gold, 3 men’s doubles gold, 2 mixed doubles gold, 2 singles bronze
World Cup: 1 singles gold, 1 singles silver, multiple team golds
Asian Cup: 4 singles titles (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016) – tied record with Ma Long
Asian Games: 2 team gold, 1 singles gold, 1 mixed doubles gold, 2 doubles silver
ITTF World Tour: 18 singles titles, 29 doubles titles (one of the most in history)
World Rankings: Reached No. 1 in singles multiple times, totaling over 20 months at top spot
Doubles Specialist: Widely considered greatest doubles player ever; holds national record for 6 men’s doubles titles at Chinese National Championships
Xu Xin’s career is distinguished by his unique playing style, exceptional doubles skills, and remarkable consistency at the highest level of table tennis, making him one of the sport’s all-time greats.
