Double Joy for Chinese Men’s Table Tennis! WTT Doha Sweeps Gold and Silver, Fan Zhendong Stages Thrilling Comeback in Champions League

On January 19, 2026, Chinese men’s table tennis celebrated a remarkable double triumph. At the WTT Doha Star Contender, China’s men swept the singles podium with Zhou Qihao taking gold and Wen Ruibo silver. Shortly after, Grand Slam champion Fan Zhendong produced a spectacular comeback in the Champions League, overcoming French star Simon in a five-set thriller, saving match points, and teaming up with Olympic silver medalists Moregard and Franziska to help Saarbrücken secure a 3-0 victory over Hennebont.

WTT Doha Star Contender: Non-Stars Shine

In the men’s singles at WTT Doha, China’s team finally breathed a sigh of relief. Since March last year, the men’s singles had seen multiple setbacks, with Wang Chuqin as the undeniable cornerstone — if he faltered, other teammates struggled to win titles. At the end of last year, Wang withdrew from the WTT Hong Kong Grand Finals due to injury, and Lin Shidong and others didn’t even reach the singles finals.

With Wang absent from January competitions, China’s top players missed the championship race, and many fans feared the non-core players might falter against world champions. Surprisingly, Zhou Qihao rose to the occasion, defeating three world champions — China’s Liang Jingkun, Japan’s Shinozuka Daito, and Germany’s Ovtcharov (who had eliminated Lin Shidong) — and finally overcame 18-year-old Wen Ruibo in the final. Zhou became the first Chinese men’s player outside Wang Chuqin in nine months to claim a major international singles title.

Champions League: Fan Zhendong’s Thrilling Comeback

Immediately following, the Champions League saw Grand Slam champion Fan Zhendong join forces with Moregard and Franziska. Saarbrücken dominated Hennebont 3-0 overall:

• Match 1: Moregard 3-1 Sidorenko (11-8, 9-11, 11-4, 12-10)
• Match 2: Fan Zhendong 3-2 Simon (4-11, 11-5, 7-11, 16-14, 6-2)
• Match 3: Franziska 3-0 Katsman (11-8, 11-8, 13-11)

Fan’s second match was a highlight: trailing 0-1 and 1-2, he saved match points in the fourth set (16-14) and won the decider from 0-2 down, scoring six consecutive points to seal victory (special rules applied). Notably, Simon had recently defeated China’s rising star Xiang Peng at WTT Doha, but was fully contained by Fan this time.

Consistent Form, Momentum Building

Since the start of 2026, Fan Zhendong has already won four consecutive matches in the German Cup semifinals and finals, securing the men’s team championship for Saarbrücken. Although he lost two matches in round 12 of the Bundesliga due to teammate errors (overall 2-3), he bounced back impressively in the Champions League.

Another Chinese world champion, Lin Gaoyuan, is also competing in the Champions League for Mühlhausen. He narrowly lost 2-3 to American player Kanak in his opener, and fans are eager to see him regain form and possibly clash with Fan Zhendong in a show-stopping matchup.