Ma Long facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ma Long
Ma at the 2017 Asian Championships
Personal information
Native name	马龙
Nickname(s)	The Hexagon Warrior; The Dictator; The King; The Dragon
Born	(1988-10-20) 20 October 1988 (age 36) Anshan, China
Playing style	Right-handed, shakehand grip
Equipment(s)	(2023) DHS W968, DHS Hurricane 3 Neo National Blue Sponge (FH, Black), DHS Hurricane 3 Neo (BH, Red)
Highest ranking	1 (January 2010)
Club	Shandong Luneng
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	72 kg (159 lb)
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 6 0 0 World Championships 14 1 4 World Cup 11 2 3 Men's table tennis Representing  China Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Team Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Singles Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team Gold 2020 Tokyo Singles Gold 2020 Tokyo Team Gold 2024 Paris Team World Championships Gold 2006 Bremen Team Gold 2008 Guangzhou Team Gold 2010 Moscow Team Gold 2011 Rotterdam Doubles Gold 2012 Dortmund Team Gold 2014 Tokyo Team Gold 2015 Suzhou Singles Gold 2016 Kuala Lumpur Team Gold 2017 Düsseldorf Singles Gold 2018 Halmstad Team Gold 2019 Budapest Singles Gold 2019 Budapest Doubles Gold 2022 Chengdu Team Gold 2024 Busan Team Silver 2009 Yokohama Doubles Bronze 2009 Yokohama Singles Bronze 2011 Rotterdam Singles Bronze 2013 Paris Singles Bronze 2023 Durban Singles World Cup Gold 2009 Linz Team Gold 2010 Dubai Team Gold 2011 Magdeburg Team Gold 2012 Liverpool Singles Gold 2013 Guangzhou Team Gold 2015 Halmstad Singles Gold 2015 Dubai Team Gold 2018 London Team Gold 2019 Tokyo Team Gold 2023 Chengdu Mixed team Gold 2024 Macau Singles Silver 2014 Düsseldorf Singles Silver 2020 Weihai Singles Bronze 2008 Liège Singles Bronze 2009 Moscow Singles Bronze 2017 Liège Singles WTT Cup Finals Bronze 2022 Xinxiang Singles Asian Games Gold 2006 Doha Team Gold 2010 Guangzhou Singles Gold 2010 Guangzhou Team Gold 2014 Incheon Doubles Gold 2014 Incheon Team Gold 2022 Hangzhou Team Bronze 2006 Doha Doubles Asian Championships Gold 2005 Jeju-do Team Gold 2007 Yangzhou Doubles Gold 2007 Yangzhou Team Gold 2009 Lucknow Singles Gold 2009 Lucknow Doubles Gold 2009 Lucknow Mixed doubles Gold 2009 Lucknow Team Gold 2011 Macau Singles Gold 2011 Macau Team Gold 2013 Busan Singles Gold 2013 Busan Team Gold 2015 Pattaya Team Gold 2017 Wuxi Team Gold 2023 Pyeongchang Singles Gold 2023 Pyeongchang Team Silver 2007 Yangzhou Singles Silver 2013 Busan Doubles Silver 2023 Pyeongchang Doubles Bronze 2005 Jeju-do Mixed doubles Bronze 2011 Macau Doubles Asian Cup Gold 2008 Sapporo Singles Gold 2009 Hangzhou Singles Gold 2011 Changsha Singles Gold 2014 Wuhan Singles Silver 2019 Yokohama Singles ITTF World Tour Grand Finals Gold 2006 Hong Kong Doubles Gold 2008 Macau Singles Gold 2009 Macau Singles Gold 2011 London Singles Gold 2015 Lisbon Singles Gold 2016 Doha Singles Gold 2020 Zhengzhou Singles Silver 2011 London Doubles Silver 2013 Dubai Singles Silver 2019 Zhengzhou Singles Bronze 2007 Beijing Singles Bronze 2007 Beijing Doubles National Games of China Gold 2013 Liaoning Singles Gold 2013 Liaoning Mixed doubles Gold 2017 Tianjin Singles Gold 2021 Shaanxi Doubles Silver 2009 Shandong Singles Silver 2017 Tianjin Doubles Silver 2021 Shaanxi Team Bronze 2005 Jiangsu Singles Bronze 2005 Jiangsu Doubles Bronze 2009 Shandong Team Bronze 2013 Liaoning Team All China Table Tennis Championships Gold 2010 Zhangjiagang Doubles Gold 2011 Jiangsu Singles Gold 2011 Jiangsu Team Gold 2012 Zhangjiagang Mixed doubles Gold 2012 Zhangjiagang Team Gold 2015 Haerbing Doubles Gold 2018 Anshan Team Gold 2020 Weihai Doubles Silver 2004 Wuxi Singles Silver 2006 Nanjing Doubles Silver 2007 Wuxi Singles Silver 2007 Wuxi Doubles Silver 2008 Zhangjiagang Mixed doubles Silver 2014 Hubei Singles Silver 2014 Hubei Doubles Silver 2016 Anshan Mixed doubles Silver 2020 Weihai Singles Silver 2020 Weihai Team Bronze 2006 Nanjing Singles Bronze 2007 Wuxi Team Bronze 2008 Zhangjiagang Singles Bronze 2008 Zhangjiagang Doubles Bronze 2008 Zhangjiagang Team World Junior Championships Gold 2003 Santiago Team Gold 2004 Kobe Singles Gold 2004 Kobe Team Silver 2003 Santiago Mixed doubles Silver 2004 Kobe Doubles Silver 2004 Kobe Mixed Doubles Asian Junior Championships Gold 2004 New Delhi Singles Gold 2004 New Delhi Mixed doubles Gold 2004 New Delhi Team Silver 2003 Hyderabad Doubles Silver 2004 New Delhi Doubles

Ma Long (Chinese: 马龙; pinyin: Mǎ Lóng; born 20 October 1988) is a professional table tennis player from China. He is known as one of the greatest table tennis players ever. Ma Long has won six Olympic gold medals and three World Championships. He is the only male player to achieve a "Double Grand Slam." This means he won the men's singles gold medal at two different Olympic Games: 2016 and 2020. He holds the record for the most Olympic gold medals won by a Chinese athlete in table tennis.

Ma Long was ranked world number 1 for a total of 64 months. This includes 34 months in a row starting from March 2015. This is the longest time any male player has held the top spot in table tennis history. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) gave him nicknames like "The Dictator" and "The Dragon." His name, Lóng, means dragon in Chinese, and he was born in the Year of the Dragon. Since 2014, he has been the captain of the Chinese national men's table tennis team. Ma Long officially stopped being part of the ITTF world rankings on December 31, 2024.

Ma Long's Amazing Career

Starting Out: Junior Success

Ma Long started his career strong. He won both the Asian and World Junior Championships. At just 17 years old, he became the youngest world champion when he played in the 2006 Bremen World Team Championship. He learned from great coaches and quickly became a top player. Before he turned 22, he reached the finals of 11 ITTF World Tour tournaments, winning 8 of them! He also won the Asian Cup and World Tour Grand Finals twice.

Even though he was the world's number 1 player for much of 2010–2012, he wasn't chosen for the 2012 Olympics. This was because of a small dip in his performance after a long winning streak. Many people thought he was the best, but he didn't get to compete for an Olympic singles medal then. His coach, Liu Guoliang, said Ma Long had all the skills but needed to be tougher mentally in big tournaments. He often lost in the semifinals of World Championships.

Becoming More Consistent: 2013-2015

After losing in the World Championships semifinals in 2013, Ma Long had a very successful year. He won the China Open twice and the Asian Championships for the third time. He also won the China National Games.

In 2014, he won the Asian Cup for the fourth time. At the 2014 World Team Table Tennis Championships, he didn't lose a single game! He helped China win the final against Germany and was named the best player of the tournament. However, he lost a close match at the World Cup in October 2014, which led to more questions about his performance under pressure.

But 2015 was Ma Long's year! He won the Kuwait Open and the German Open. His biggest win was at the 2015 World Table Tennis Championships. He played incredibly well, not losing more than one set until the final. This was a huge step for him, as it was his first major singles title since 2012. He then won the China Open for a record sixth time. He also led his team to win the Chinese Super League championship. He finished 2015 with only one loss in international competitions.

Achieving the Grand Slam: 2016

Ma Long continued his winning streak in 2016. He won the German Open and helped China win the 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships without losing a game. In April, he qualified for the Olympic Singles in Rio.

At the Rio Olympics, Ma Long was the top seed. He had a tough match against Korea's Jeoung Young-sik, but he came back to win. He then faced Jun Mizutani in the semifinals and won in six games. This set up a historic final against his teammate, Zhang Jike. Ma Long won the gold medal by beating Zhang Jike 4-0. This was the first time an Olympic singles final ended in a sweep since the format changed.

Winning gold in Rio made Ma Long a legend in table tennis. He became the fifth male player to complete the "Grand Slam." This means winning the Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cup. He was also the first male player to hold all four major titles (including the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals) at the same time. He won every important singles competition possible, making him one of the most complete players ever.

Later in 2016, Ma Long won his fifth ITTF World Tour Grand Finals title, a new record. This was his fifth major title in a row. He was named male athlete of the year at the China Central Television (CCTV) Sports Awards Gala.

Challenges and Triumphs: 2017

Ma Long started 2017 by winning the Qatar Open again. However, he faced some challenges. He lost to Fan Zhendong in China's trials for the World Championships. He also got injured and had to withdraw from some matches. At the Asian Championships, he lost early in the singles event, which was a big surprise.

Despite a tough start, Ma Long got a chance to play at the World Championships in Düsseldorf. He played very well, reaching the final against Fan Zhendong. It was an exciting match that went all seven games. Ma Long was down 7-9 in the final game but came back to win 12-10. This win gave him his second consecutive World Championship title. He became the first male player to win 10 major titles.

In June, Ma Long won the Japan Open for the first time. This meant he had won a tournament at every major ITTF World Tour location. Later that year, he played in the China National Games. He won the men's singles title for the second time in a row, which was another record. However, he lost in the semifinals of the 2017 World Cup to Timo Boll. This was his last international competition of 2017 because his wife was expecting a baby. His son was born on December 9, 2017.

Dealing with Injuries: 2018

At the start of 2018, Ma Long's world ranking dropped to 9th. This was due to a new ranking system that favored players who competed more often. Even with a lower ranking, Ma Long helped China win the 2018 World Team Cup. He didn't lose any singles or doubles matches. In March, he won the German Open for the fifth time, which was his 25th ITTF World Tour singles title.

Ma Long and his team won their 21st World Team Table Tennis Championships title in 2018. After that, he won the China Open, his 26th ITTF World Tour singles title. However, he then suffered a knee injury. This injury kept him out of all tournaments for the rest of 2018, including the World Cup.

Returning Strong: 2019

Ma Long's injury continued into 2019, but he was still chosen for the World Championships. His return to international play was at the Qatar Open in March. He showed he was still a top player, winning the final against Lin Gaoyuan. This win tied him for the most ITTF World Tour singles titles by a male player with 27.

At the 2019 World Championships, Ma Long won his third consecutive World Championship title. He became the first player since Zhuang Zedong (in the 1960s) to win three in a row.

Continuing Dominance: 2020-2021

In 2020, Ma Long reached the World Cup final but lost to Fan Zhendong. However, he ended the year by winning the ITTF World Tour Finals, his record 6th title in that event.

In May 2021, Ma Long was chosen to represent China in the men's singles event at the Tokyo Olympics. He prepared mentally, knowing how important it was. At the Tokyo Olympics, Ma Long made history by beating Fan Zhendong 4-2 in the final. This made him the first player ever to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's singles. He also became the first male table tennis player to win five Olympic gold medals. He then won his sixth Olympic gold medal in the men's team event, helping China win again.

After the Olympics, Ma Long withdrew from the singles event at the China National Games due to the busy schedule. He still led his Beijing team to a silver medal in the team event.

Later Career: 2023-2024

In 2023, Ma Long continued to compete at a high level. He won the PyeongChang Asian Table Tennis Championships men's singles title for the fourth time. This ended a "championship drought" for him in singles after the Tokyo Olympics. He showed that even at 34, he could still beat the world's best.

In February 2024, Ma Long helped Team China win the 2024 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan, South Korea. They beat Team France 3-0 in the final. In April 2024, Ma Long won the ITTF Men’s World Cup Macao for the third time. He surprised many by beating the world number 1, Wang Chuqin, 4-0 in the semifinals. He then won the final against Lin Gaoyuan, showing his amazing skill and mental strength even at an older age for a table tennis player.

On July 24, Ma Long was chosen as a flag bearer for the Chinese team at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. On August 9, he won his sixth Olympic gold medal in the men's team event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This made him the first Chinese athlete to win six Olympic gold medals.

Personal Life

In January 2017, Ma Long married his longtime girlfriend, Xia Lu. Their son was born on December 10, 2017. Ma Long is also good friends with his teammate Liu Shiwen. He even cried when she won the 2019 World Championships.

Career Records

Singles (as of October 2024)

• Olympic Games: winner (2016, 2020)
• World Championships: winner (2015, 2017, 2019); SF (2009, 2011, 2013, 2023).
• World Cup: winner (2012, 2015, 2024); runner-up (2014, 2020); third place (2008, 2009, 2017).
• ITTF World Tour Grand Finals: winner (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2020); runner-up (2013, 2019); SF (2007).
• ITTF World Tour winner (28): Kuwait, German Open 2007; Korea, Singapore Open 2008; Danish, Kuwait, Harmony China (Suzhou), English Open 2009; German Open 2010; Harmony China (Suzhou), Austrian, Swedish Open 2011; Hungarian Open 2012; Qatar, China (Changchun), Harmony Open (Suzhou) 2013; China (Chengdu) Open 2014; Kuwait, German, China (Chengdu) Open 2015; German, Qatar Open 2016; Qatar, Japan Open 2017; German, China (Shenzhen) Open 2018; Qatar, China (Shenzhen) Open 2019.
  Runner-up (21): German Open 2005; Japan, Swedish Open 2007; UAE, China (Shenzhen) Open 2011; Slovenian, China (Shanghai) Open 2012; Kuwait, Korea, UAE Open 2013; Kuwait, Korea, China (Chengdu) Open 2016; Korea Open 2019; German Open 2020; Singapore Smash 2022; Singapore Smash, Macao Champions, Lanzhou Star Contender, Frankfurt Champions 2023; China Smash 2024.
• Asian Games: winner (2010).
• Asian Championships: winner (2009, 2011, 2013, 2023); runner-up (2007).
• Asian Cup: winner (2008, 2009, 2011, 2014), runner-up (2019).
• China National Games: winner (2013, 2017), runner-up (2009), SF (2005).
• Chinese National Championships: winner (2011); runner-up (2004, 2007, 2014, 2020); SF (2006, 2008).
• World Junior Championships: winner (2004); QF (2003).
• Asian Junior Championships: winner (2004)

Doubles

• World Championships: winner (2011, 2019); runner-up (2009).
• ITTF World Tour Grand Finals: winner (2006); runner-up (2011); SF (2007).
• ITTF World Tour winner (26): China (Harbin) Open 2005; Slovenian Open 2006; Swedish Open 2007; Danish, Qatar, English Open 2009; Kuwait, German Open 2010; China (Shenzhen), Austrian Open 2011; Slovenian, Korea, China (Shanghai) Open 2012; China (Suzhou), China (Changchun) Open 2013; China (Chengdu) Open 2014; Japan Open 2015; Japan Open, China (Chengdu) Open 2016; Japan Open 2017; German, Bulgaria Open 2018; Qatar Open 2020; Singapore, Saudi Smash, Taiyuan Contender 2024.
  Runner-up (12): China (Shenzhen) Open 2005; Singapore Open 2006; China (Shenzhen) Open 2007; Qatar, Korea Open 2008; Kuwait Open 2009; China (Suzhou) Open 2011; Kuwait, Qatar, Korea Open 2013; German Open 2020; Ljubljana Star Contender 2023.
• Asian Games: winner (2014); SF (2006).
• Asian Championships: winner (2007, 2009); runner-up (2013); SF (2011).
• China National Games: winner (2021); runner-up (2017); SF (2005).
• Chinese National Championships: winner (2010, 2015, 2020); runner-up (2006, 2007, 2014); SF (2008).
• World Junior Championships: runner-up (2004).
• Asian Junior Championships: runner-up (2003, 2004).

Mixed doubles

• Asian Games: QF (2006).
• Asian Championships: winner (2009); SF (2005).
• China National Games: winner (2013).
• Chinese National Championships: winner (2012); runner-up (2008, 2016).
• World Junior Championships: runner-up (2003, 2004).
• Asian Junior Championships: winner (2004).

Team

• Olympic Games: 1st (2012, 2016, 2020, 2024)
• World Championships: 1st (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2024).
• World Cup: 1st (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023).
• Asian Games: 1st (2006, 2010, 2014, 2022).
• Asian Championships: 1st (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2023).
• China National Games: 2nd (2021); 3rd (2009, 2013)
• Chinese National Championships: 1st (2011, 2012, 2018); 3rd (2007, 2008, 2010).
• Chinese Super League: 1st (2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2020, 2022, 2023); 2nd (2021); 3rd (2014, 2016).
• World Junior Championships: 1st (2003, 2004).
• Asian Junior Championships: 1st (2004).

Summary of Accomplishments

• 6x Olympic Champion (2 Singles, 4 Team)
• 14x World Champion (3 Singles, 2 Doubles, 9 Team)
• 11x World Cup winner (3 Singles, 8 Team)
• 7x ITTF World Tour Grand Finals Champion (6 Singles, 1 Doubles)
• 54x ITTF World Tour winner (28 Singles, 26 Doubles)
• 6x Asian Games winner (1 Singles, 1 Doubles, 4 Team)
• 15x Asian Champion (4 Singles, 2 Doubles, 1 Mixed Doubles, 8 Team)
• 4x Asian Cup winner (4 Singles)
• 4x China National Games Champion (2 Singles, 1 Doubles, 1 Mixed Doubles)
• 7x Chinese National Champion (1 Singles, 2 Doubles, 1 Mixed Doubles, 3 Team)
• 5x Chinese Super League Champion (4 Team)
• 3x World Junior Champion (1 Singles, 2 Team)
• 3x Asian Junior Champion (1 Singles, 1 Mixed Doubles, 1 Team)
• 2015, 2016 ITTF Male Star of the Year
• 2016 CCTV Sports Personality of the Year

Head to head vs. other notable players (December 2004 – present)

(bold indicates a Chinese teammate)

• Timo Boll: 17–4
• Chen Chien-An: 3–0
• Chen Qi: 19–2
• Chuang Chih-Yuan: 17–2
• Mattias Falck: 4–0
• Fan Zhendong: 25–15
• Fang Bo: 10–2
• Marcos Freitas: 4–0
• Tomokazu Harimoto: 5–2
• Gao Ning: 10–0
• Hao Shuai: 20–9
• Jeoung Young-sik: 6–0
• Joo Se-Hyuk: 20–3
• Petr Korbel: 4–1
• Kalinikos Kreanga: 3–0
• Felix Lebrun: 6–0
• Liang Jingkun: 8–1
• Lin Gaoyuan: 9–2
• Lin Yun-ju: 9–4
• Ma Lin: 30–14
• Michael Maze: 7–0
• Jun Mizutani: 16–0
• Oh Sang-eun: 9–2
• Dimitrij Ovtcharov: 20–0
• Ryu Seungmin: 7–3
• Vladimir Samsonov: 9–5
• Werner Schlager: 9–0
• Tang Peng: 14–0
• Wang Chuqin: 5–8
• Wang Hao: 30–27
• Wang Liqin: 32–12
• Wong Chun Ting: 21–1
• Xu Xin: 32–14
• Yan An: 8–3
• Kaii Yoshida: 6–1
• Zhang Jike: 31–10
• Zhou Yu: 10–2

Other Records

• Went unbeaten for 40 singles matches in December 2011.
• Did not drop a single set in six tournaments: Swedish Open 2011, 2012 WTTC, World Team Classic 2013, 2014 and 2016 WTTC.
• In singles, he has won the World Tour Grand Finals six times, the China Open eight times, the German Open five times, the Qatar Open four times, the Asian Championships four times, and the Asian Cup four times, the most ever.
• One of two players to sweep all four medals in an Asian Championship (Fan Zhendong).
• Most ITTF World Tour singles titles (28) by a male player.
• Most major titles (14) by a male player.
• First player to sweep his opponent in an Olympic Singles final since the Olympics extended matches to seven games in 2004.
• Second male player to win the World Championships, World Cup, Olympics, and World Tour Grand Finals. He is the first male player to be the defending champion of all four at the same time.
• Fastest player ever to win all possible singles titles (2,092 days, from 20 November 2010 to 11 August 2016).
• Fastest player ever to complete a "Full House" (467 days, from 3 May 2015 to 11 August 2016).
• First player, male or female, to win the ITTF Star Player of the Year award in consecutive years.
• Won at least one tournament at every major station on the ITTF World Tour.
• First and only male player to have won two consecutive singles titles at the China National Games.
• First player to win 3 men's singles titles in the World Championships since Wang Liqin. First player to win them consecutively since Zhuang Zedong.
• First and only male player to defend his Olympic Gold Medal in singles.
• First and only male player to become a double Grand Slam winner.
• First and only Chinese athlete to win 6 Olympic gold medals.
• First and only player, male or female, to win 6 Olympic gold medals.

International Competitions: Ma Long's Results