Ma Long , born on October 20, 1988, in Anshan City, Liaoning Province, is a Chinese male table tennis player, Vice President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, and Vice President of the 14th All-China Youth Federation. He is a two-time Grand Slam winner and is widely regarded as a “hexagonal warrior” in table tennis as well as the greatest male player of all time (GOAT) in the sport. He started practicing table tennis at the age of five, was selected for the national team at the age of 15 in 2003, and served as the captain of the Chinese men’s table tennis team from 2014 to 2026. His professional career spanned 22 years, during which he set countless unprecedented records.
I. Personal Profile
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ma Long |
| Date of Birth | October 20, 1988 |
| Hometown | Anshan, Liaoning Province |
| Sport | Table Tennis (Right-handed shakehand grip, double-sided rubber) |
| National Team Tenure | Joined the national team in 2003; Men’s team captain 2014–2026 |
| Playing Style | All-round well-balanced technique (the “Hexagonal Warrior”); balanced attack and defense, superior pace control, world-class forehand |
| Current Positions | Vice Chairman of Chinese Table Tennis Association, Vice Chairman of the 14th All-China Youth Federation |
| Education | Doctor of Beijing Sport University |
II. Key Career Milestones
- Early Rise to Fame: Won the World Junior Table Tennis Singles Champion in 2004. Claimed his first world title at age 18 as a member of China’s men’s team at the 2006 Bremen World Table Tennis Championships.
- Grand Slam Achievement: Men’s Singles Champion at the 2015 Suzhou World Championships; Men’s Singles and Men’s Team Gold Medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, completing a career Grand Slam.
- Career Peak: Defended his Olympic men’s singles gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics (the first men’s table tennis player in Olympic history to retain singles gold) and also claimed men’s team gold, becoming the only male double Grand Slam winner ever.
- Six-Time Olympic Gold Medalist: Secured men’s team gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, earning his sixth Olympic gold medal, making him the Chinese athlete with the most Olympic gold medals.
- Perfect Career Crown: Won the men’s singles title at the 2025 National Games of China, capturing every top-tier championship to achieve the ultimate Super Grand Slam.
- Shift to Management: Elected Vice Chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association in April 2025, and stepped down as men’s national team captain in June 2026.
III. Major Competitive Honors
1. Olympic Games (6 Gold Medals)
- 2012 London Olympics: Men’s Team Gold
- 2016 Rio Olympics: Men’s Singles Gold, Men’s Team Gold
- 2021 Tokyo Olympics: Men’s Singles Gold (Title Defense), Men’s Team Gold
- 2024 Paris Olympics: Men’s Team Gold (6th Olympic gold overall)
2. World Table Tennis Championships (14 Titles)
- Men’s Singles: 2015 Suzhou, 2017 Düsseldorf, 2019 Budapest (Three Consecutive Singles Crowns)
- Men’s Team: 2006 Bremen, 2008 Guangzhou, 2010 Moscow, 2012 Dortmund, 2014 Tokyo, 2016 Kuala Lumpur, 2018 Halmstad, 2022 Chengdu, 2024 Busan
- Men’s Doubles: 2011 Rotterdam (partnered with Xu Xin)
3. ITTF World Cup (11 Titles)
- Men’s Singles: 2012, 2015
- Men’s Team: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020
4. Asian & Domestic Tournaments
- National Games of China: 2025 Men’s Singles Champion
- Asian Table Tennis Championships: Four-time champion in team, singles, doubles and mixed doubles in 2009
- Asian Games: 2014 Incheon Men’s Singles Champion
- Asian Cup Men’s Singles Champion: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014
5. Other Distinguished Accolades
- IOC Distinguished Sports Career Award (2024)
- Recognized as the GOAT of table tennis in ITTF’s centennial documentary
- 31 World Championship titles (all-time record for men’s table tennis)
- Over 640 cumulative weeks ranked world No.1 (all-time record)
- More than 150 titles in international competitive events
- Record of undefeated matches against foreign opponents for four consecutive years
IV. Historical Status & Evaluation
Ma Long is the only male table tennis player in history to complete a Double Grand Slam, as well as a Super Grand Slam winner, having claimed singles titles at all elite tournaments: Olympic Games, World Table Tennis Championships, ITTF World Cup, Asian Games, Asian Table Tennis Championships, Asian Cup, National Games of China and ITTF World Tour Grand Finals.
Japanese sports media coined the nickname “Hexagonal Warrior” for him, praising his perfect scores in six core athletic dimensions: power, speed, technique, serve, defense and match experience.
Ma Long’s career is defined by extraordinary resilience and sportsmanship. He defended his Olympic singles gold at age 33 in 2021, claimed another Olympic team gold at 35 at the 2024 Paris Games, and claimed the National Games singles title at 37 in 2025, cementing his status as an unparalleled legend in Chinese sports.
