Fan Zhendong Withdraws from World Rankings, Citing Psychological Toll and New Regulations

Fan Zhendong Withdraws from World Rankings, Citing New Regulations and Psychological Toll

Chinese table tennis star and Olympic champion Fan Zhendong announced his decision to withdraw from the world rankings on Friday. This decision comes in response to new regulations introduced by World Table Tennis (WTT) that impose fines for non-participation.

In a heartfelt post on his official Weibo account, Fan assured fans that he has no plans to retire and remains committed to the sport he loves. However, he also reflected on the psychological toll of high-level competition and the uncertainty he feels about his future career.

Fan mentioned his previous statement about the Paris Olympics potentially being his last, and how he would give his all to fight for his country. He successfully completed his Olympic mission, but the immense psychological toll has left him uncertain about planning his future career.

He expressed concerns over the new WTT regulations that impose fines for non-participation. While he respects international organizations, he feels unable to bear this burden and has chosen to withdraw from the world rankings for now. He has already submitted a report to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and the Chinese Table Tennis Association.

Despite this decision, Fan emphasized that he is not stepping away from the sport. He will continue to work hard and participate in various competitions. Table tennis has been his badge of honor throughout his life, and his love for sports will continue to enrich him. He will not stray far from table tennis or leave the field of sports.

Fan concluded his post with a message of determination, quoting, "Never stop chasing my wildest dreams" and "It's time to try defying gravity."

The announcement follows the latest ITTF rankings released this week, where Fan dropped to sixth place. Of his eight valid ranking points, five were marked as zero.

The news has sparked widespread discussion, with many accusing WTT's ranking system of prioritizing commercial interests over athletes' well-being. Fans argue that the new regulations place excessive pressure on players, leaving them overworked and unable to balance competition with necessary recovery.