Translation of the article content into English:
It must be said that for the world of table tennis, the major decision made by Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng to withdraw from the world rankings is indeed very shocking. Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng are not only top players in the world of table tennis but also champions of the men's singles and women's singles at the Paris Olympics. In response to this, some fans have asked, who exactly is embarrassed by these two decisions to withdraw from the world rankings?
Recently, the WTT World Table Tennis Professional League has introduced new regulations concerning the management of athletes' withdrawal from competitions, which are as follows.
Withdrawal fines: Players are not allowed to participate in any table tennis events, club matches, or exhibition games held during the same week they have withdrawn, cancelled, or forfeited.
If a player does not comply with this rule, they will be subject to the following fines:
Ranking 1-20 players: 5000Ranking21−50players:3000
Ranking 51+ players: $1500
This regulation has caused a strong reaction in the world of table tennis since its announcement. It should be noted that after the Paris Olympics, many top players including Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, Ma Long, and others either did not participate or only partially participated in various WTT events. According to this rule, they would have to bear significant fines.
Therefore, Fan Zhendong quickly responded. On his personal social media platform, Fan Zhendong directly announced his decision to withdraw from the world rankings. "When I wrote 'last dance' in May, I had already anticipated that Paris might be my last Olympic Games, and I will surely give it my all to fight for the country. After successfully completing the Olympic mission, due to the huge psychological toll left over from the Paris cycle, apart from confirming participation in the next National Games, I have not yet formulated specific plans for my future career.
Recently, the WTT introduced a new rule of imposing fines for non-participation, which I am truly unable to bear, but I still respect the international organization. Therefore, I can only choose to withdraw from the world rankings for now. In accordance with the requirements of the International Table Tennis Federation and the Chinese Table Tennis Association, I have submitted a report this week.
I am still me, not retiring, and will continue to strive to participate in more diverse competitions."
Following Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, the Olympic champion who also did not participate in various WTT events after the Paris Olympics, made the same decision. She first liked Fan Zhendong's social media post, and soon after, she officially announced her withdrawal from the world rankings online. "Due to the recent new WTT regulation on withdrawal fines and because my body is currently unable to withstand every high-intensity event, out of respect for the international organization, I signed the documents on Monday and ultimately made the choice to withdraw from the world rankings."
The two Paris Olympic table tennis men's singles and women's singles champions, Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, chose to withdraw from the world rankings after the new WTT withdrawal fine regulations were introduced. This not only came as a surprise to the World Table Tennis Federation but also dealt a blow to them. Many fans have expressed their opinions on the decisions of these two top players, wondering who is the most embarrassed? And after Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, who else will withdraw from the world rankings?