According to the views of Beijing Sports and other media outlets, Wang Chuqin is expected to carry the flag for the men's singles table tennis event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. It seems as though, in their eyes, aside from Wang Chuqin, there is no one else in the current male table tennis scene capable of standing on their own.
However, looking at the specific situation, Wang Chuqin has lost the most crucial element for contending the men's singles championship.
Do you remember the match where Fan Zhendong made a comeback against Tomokazu Harimoto? The first game ended with a score of 2-11, the second with 9-11, and although he managed to level the score to 2-2 in the following games, he lost the fifth game with a score of 4-11. Despite receiving brief guidance and stabilizing his performance to drag the match into a decisive game with an 11-7 victory, everyone knew that Fan Zhendong had reached the point of physical and mental exhaustion. His eyes gradually transformed into a sharp, wolf-like gaze, and he ultimately succeeded in reversing the situation with powerful offensive momentum and calmness in critical moments, advancing to the semi-finals.
Therefore, those who can go all the way in singles must possess both mentality and strength.
On the other hand, what people discuss the most about Wang Chuqin now, and what he is most criticized for, is undoubtedly the issue of the Olympic 32nd place.
Although it is known that his usual racket was stepped on and broken, this is not unprecedented. Just like Zhang Yining in the past, as long as the technique is solid, even a simple wooden board could knock opponents down.
Have you noticed that early in his career, Wang Chuqin did not rely on blocking serves and scoring in the first three shots. Later, for some unknown reason, he began to specialize in blocking techniques, from serving blocks to inner-table blocks, gradually becoming a master of blocking.
However, it is also normal to think that under the brilliance of the Three Musketeers and Fan Zhendong, 191 wanted to quickly introduce a successor, which meant taking shortcuts, and the fastest way to do so was through his adept blocking skills.
Over time, people have forgotten the fact that Wang Chuqin is from the same era as the Three Musketeers and Fan Zhendong. It was Fan Zhendong who emerged victorious, while Wang Chuqin was pushed forward to prove the correctness of his own philosophy. Unfortunately, reality proved to be quite embarrassing.
Take the Paris Olympics team final as an example, where Wang Chuqin faced a veteran player in his thirties who was injured, yet he was forced to the fifth game;
Afterwards, in various competitions, he consecutively lost to Linde, who was almost paralyzed, 14-year-old Faraji, and 18-year-old Wu Juncheng.
Later, although he won against Moregard, four years later, he will face the peak period of players like Tomokazu Harimoto, the Lebrun brothers, and Xiao Mo. Unlike Wang Chuqin, these players not only have solid fundamentals but are also just entering their prime, so what can Wang Chuqin use to compete against them?
Using the serve-blocking technique that foreign associations often report?
Forget it. Not only foreign associations, but even his own predecessors and teammates probably don't think much of him either. Otherwise, how would Zhang Jike mention "that 32nd place" in the live broadcast, Xu Xin be sarcastic, and Lin Shidong vent in his blog post?
In summary, you should understand that relying on marketing and taking shortcuts won't get you far. If he only indulges himself and does not strive for progress, then forget about the Olympic singles championship; whether he can even make it to the Olympics is still uncertain.