On December 27th, Beijing time, how regrettable is it that Fan Zhendong has withdrawn from the world rankings? Looking at the statements made by Tomokazu Harimoto and Timo Boll, you can understand the extent of the loss suffered by the Chinese national table tennis team.
Fan Zhendong's sudden announcement that he will withdraw from the world rankings will be a huge loss and blow to the Chinese table tennis team, as there is currently no other player within the national team who possesses the same level of terrifying deterrence against foreign associations as Fan Zhendong does.
His withdrawal from the world rankings means that he will not be able to participate in almost all international competitions going forward, as he has never played in qualifying rounds throughout his career. This leaves him with only domestic competitions such as the National Championships and National Games to compete in, where we may only see Fan Zhendong engage in internal battles. It might become increasingly difficult to witness him wearing the red of China and triumphing over foreign opponents.
In reality, foreigners are extremely afraid of Fan Zhendong, which is evident from the statements made by Tomokazu Harimoto. After achieving success at the Paris Olympics, Harimoto returned home and immediately gave an interview. During this interview, he spoke candidly to Japanese media, saying, "To be honest, I don't think my abilities allow me to compete with Fan Zhendong to a scoreline of 3:4."
The implication of Harimoto's words is clear; he sees no need to speak modestly or politely when addressing Japanese media. He genuinely believes that he cannot defeat Fan Zhendong, not even reaching a scoreline of 3:4. Scores like 2:4 or 1:4 would be more realistic for him. He doesn't believe he has the capability to win three sets off Fan Zhendong, which would require superhuman performance. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't even be able to secure three sets, which is why Harimoto made such comments upon his return, highlighting Fan Zhendong's dominance over foreign associations.
Despite intense matches, Harimoto was ultimately defeated and intimidated by Fan Zhendong, and this applies not just to Harimoto but to other foreign players as well. Currently, in the top three of the Ping Pong Super League win-rate rankings, Lin Shidong has 8 wins and 1 loss, Koki Niwa has 8 wins and 2 losses, and Wang Chuqin has 7 wins and 1 loss. All these top-ranked players have lost to Fan Zhendong at least once, with their sole losses coming at the hands of Fan Zhendong. Does this level of dominance not prove something?
Looking further at the fear foreign associations have of him, Koki Niwa scored a total of only 7 points across three sets against Fan Zhendong, already fearing him upon entering the court. Similarly, Tomokazu Harimoto also felt this way. Without Fan Zhendong, who else could exert such absolute suppression over foreign associations? Even the "Dragon Team" is getting older and gradually fading away.
The biggest loss in the future will be that foreign players no longer fear the Chinese national table tennis team, which may be more critical than simply losing a major championship title. Harimoto's statement at the time did not seem to awaken Liu Guoliang or the national team. Facing the unreasonable system of WTT, Fan Zhendong engaged in direct resistance. Was he speaking only for himself? No, he was helping all athletes benefit. Therefore, Timo Boll also expressed that achieving Fan Zhendong's level of success requires immense effort, so he supports Fan Zhendong in being true to himself.
Fan Zhendong himself is not short of money; even if he withdraws from competitions and faces fines of $5,000 or higher, it would not be a significant issue for him. However, there are other athletes who are in need of funds. With great courage, he stood up to WTT, benefiting all remaining athletes. If he really withdraws from international competitions in the future, and even the three major events may not be open to him, it will then be a loss for the entire Chinese national table tennis team.