Zhang Jike's words really caught everyone's attention. Honestly, as soon as he opened his mouth, many people couldn't sit still. You see, once these words were spoken, the scene erupted, and netizens were buzzing with discussion, each one like they had swallowed gunpowder, speculating about who exactly he was referring to, especially the blindly confident player he mentioned. Netizens were full of question marks, pointing directly at Wang Chuqin.
Zhang Jike did not directly name anyone, which made people even more entangled. Honestly, this topic immediately made everyone think of certain players, especially Wang Chuqin, the young force of the current national table tennis team. Although he won mixed doubles gold and men's team gold at the Paris Olympics, what about his singles performance?
There really wasn't much to show for it. Zhang Jike's words ignited this topic, making people pay even more attention to whether Wang Chuqin could achieve a Grand Slam in singles, after all, that is the standard achievement for him as a top player.
Zhang Jike's point that results are the standard of strength cannot be refuted. After all, he himself is the most vivid example, completing the Grand Slam at the age of 24 in just 445 days, who can do that? He won the championships of the World Cup, World Championships, and Olympics back then, and in terms of singles results alone, he was almost invincible. Who would dare say he doesn't have enough strength?
Some netizens said: Zhang Jike's words make a lot of sense. After all, results are the hard truth. Can you get by with just confidence and no real skills? Although direct, these words indeed hit the nail on the head. Take Wang Chuqin, for example, his mixed doubles gold and men's team gold are indeed remarkable, but everyone can't help but ask: Can he break through in singles and win a championship in one of the three major events?
This is the mark of whether he can become a truly top player. In fact, Wang Chuqin's achievements are already quite dazzling, especially in team and mixed doubles competitions, where he has proven his strength. However, the problem lies in the fact that the blank in the singles arena always makes people feel that he seems to be just a little short of the Grand Slam.
Moreover, in today's national table tennis team, Ma Long occupies the position of the Grand Slam, and the ceiling of achievements is so high that it's a bit hard to breathe. A comment from a netizen also mentioned: I think Wang Chuqin performed well at the Olympics, but compared to Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, the gap is even more obvious.
Sun Yingsha is only one Olympic women's singles gold medal away from becoming a Grand Slam player, while Wang Chuqin's singles record is really lacking, and confidence alone won't cut it. Compared to Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu of the same period, Wang Chuqin's singles performance falls short by a large margin. Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu have achieved remarkable results on the international stage, especially Sun Yingsha, who is only one Olympic singles gold medal away from the Grand Slam, but what about Wang Chuqin?
He really has to face a tough question - can he keep up with his achievements in singles? Speaking of Zhang Jike again, the blind confidence he mentioned in the live broadcast is actually quite profound. You know, Zhang Jike has also experienced a stage of blind confidence. He openly admitted that there was a time when I didn't measure my own abilities and was overly confident, resulting in setbacks.
What he said was simply his personal experience, giving everyone a wake-up call. Think about it, he was able to complete the Grand Slam at the age of 24, how much sweat and effort did he put in behind the scenes? How could he tolerate those players who start to overconfident without real ability?
Some netizens expressed: In fact, Zhang Jike's words are not meant to criticize anyone, but to make everyone understand that blind confidence is not enough, true strength speaks for itself. This perspective may be closest to Zhang Jike's original intention. He is not targeting anyone in particular, but wants to give everyone a lesson based on his own experience. Confidence is important, but without sufficient strength, confidence alone means nothing.
Speaking of Ma Long, many fans feel a bit regretful. Although Ma Long won the singles championship at the 2024 World Cup, his age and current competitive state caused him to miss the opportunity for the Olympic singles. Moreover, he almost monopolized the singles championships of the three major events, which inevitably makes people feel that Ma Long's winning another gold medal seems to have little significance.
Therefore, everyone couldn't help but speculate whether Wang Chuqin was selected for the Olympic singles because Ma Long stepped aside? Ma Long's chances of winning another gold medal are getting slimmer, instead, giving younger players more opportunities, which seems to be the long-term plan of the national table tennis team.
Some netizens also raised such a view: I think Wang Chuqin can go to the Olympics for singles, perhaps really because Ma Long's role is gradually changing. It has become increasingly difficult for him to compete for the singles gold medal, and giving opportunities to young players like Wang Chuqin is most in line with future development.
This view is quite reasonable. After all, if Ma Long continues playing, he is nearing the end of his career, maybe it's really time to let the young players strive for more opportunities. Zhang Jike's words can be said to directly address some of the pain points in the current Chinese table tennis world, especially issues related to achievements and selection mechanisms.
For Wang Chuqin, his achievements are indeed eye-catching, but the breakthrough in singles is the key. Zhang Jike's mention of blind confidence is actually a reminder to all players that true strength, not just empty confidence, is what backs them up. For Wang Chuqin, the upcoming matches, especially singles, are when he truly proves himself. If he can win the championship of the three major events, his future will be even brighter.