Recently, the WTT World Table Tennis Association announced the list of participants for the 2025 Singapore Grand Slam Tournament. In the men's singles category, Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, Liang Jingkun, Lin Gaoyuan, Zhou Qihao, and Xiang Peng have qualified for the competition. On the women's side, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Wang Yidi, Chen Xintong, Qian Tianyi, and He Zhuojia have been selected to participate.
It is worth noting that three major Olympic singles champions, Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng, have all missed out on this event. Looking at the list of participants, the Chinese team has sent very young players in the men's singles, such as Lin Shidong and Xiang Peng. However, there are no young players participating in the women's singles this time. The young player Kuai Man, who was focused on by the coaching staff, missed out again due to her low world ranking. Sun Yingsha, ranked first in the world, remains the youngest among all participants.
The Singapore Grand Slam Tournament is a top-tier event in the WTT series and also the earliest and most stable grand slam tournament held. Therefore, the national table tennis team attaches great importance to it and sends its main players. However, Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng are collectively absent from this competition.
The absence of Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng from the Singapore Grand Slam Tournament is not surprising. After the Paris Olympics, Ma Long participated in the China Grand Slam Tournament and clearly stated that it would be his last international event. Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng chose to rest after successfully winning the singles titles at the Paris Olympics. Fan Zhendong still participated in the National Championships and the Super League, while Chen Meng completely gave up all competitions and remained on the sidelines.
The absence of Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng from the Singapore Grand Slam Tournament also indicates that the national table tennis team is indeed accelerating the transition between old and new players. Liu Guoliang previously emphasized the need to provide more opportunities for young players, accelerate the transition within the national table tennis team, and better carry out echelon construction. It seems that Liu Guoliang has indeed delivered on his promise!
This time, the national table tennis team has increased its efforts in echelon construction. What kind of results can the national table tennis team achieve in this Singapore Grand Slam Tournament? Let's wait and see!
