The International Table Tennis Federation's investigation into WTT has yet to yield any results. However, most media outlets are not optimistic about this investigation. Although the investigation team does not include Liu Guoliang, the head of WTT, the composition of the investigation team appears to be a self-examination by WTT. This has led fans to believe that the possibility of rule changes allowing Fan Zhendong to return is slim. Liu Guoliang has already stated that Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, and Chen Meng can represent China with wild cards, leaving room for the national table tennis team's need for these players.
Before the International Table Tennis Federation's investigation team could reach a conclusion, WTT and Liu Guoliang suffered another blow when two more top players officially announced their withdrawal from the world rankings, further weakening WTT's star lineup. The withdrawal of the female player in particular poses a significant blow to WTT's future development.
Who are the players who have withdrawn from the world rankings? The first is Chuang Chih-yuan, a veteran from Chinese Taipei, born in 1981, who is now 43 years old. In light of increased injuries, Chuang made the decisive choice to withdraw from the WTT world rankings after WTT introduced fines for missing matches. Currently, Chuang's annual WTT winnings are not substantial, and WTT does not cover athletes' travel and accommodation costs. In such circumstances, if an athlete fails to reach the top four, they essentially lose money. Therefore, Chuang also chose to withdraw from the world rankings.
The second player to withdraw from the world rankings is Wang Xinyu, a high-profile young talent from Singapore. Born in 2001, she is only 23 years old. Wang Xinyu, currently studying at the National University of Singapore, planned to retire in July, and the Singapore Table Tennis Association later confirmed this news. Now, the 21-year-old Wang Xinyu has announced her withdrawal from the world rankings.
Why did Wang Xinyu withdraw from the world rankings? It is reported that the prize money from WTT is very low for the 21-year-old Wang Xinyu, especially since she can only participate in branch competitions where the singles prize money is often only around $1,000. This leaves the athletes in financial difficulties, so the high-profile Wang Xinyu is rumored to be considering a career change. With the popularity and attention accumulated from playing table tennis, Wang Xinyu plans to enter the entertainment industry, which she has advantages in. Perhaps in Singapore's entertainment circle, Wang Xinyu can carve out her own path, at least her income will be higher than what she earns from WTT.