--- title: Ma Long slug: ma-long-103cb url: /detay/ma-long-103cb type: biography language: English entity: primary: Ma Long type: biography categories: - name: Sport slug: spor url: /kategori/spor tags: - Table Tennis - Olympics - Sports - China author: Mustafa Fırat created_at: 2026-07-06T22:33:12.633096+03:00 updated_at: 2026-07-06T22:33:12.633110+03:00 image: https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/07/0gBa0kx4SpuP0lajMLyhKwrfY3VAUjiL.png --- # Ma Long > Ma Long (born 1988) is a Chinese table tennis player known for his Olympic and world championship titles. ## KURE Information Cards | Field | Value | |-------|-------| | Age | 37 | | Date of birth | 1988-10-20 | | Spouse | Xia Lu | ![](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/07/CcS7GUxo3QgBPLFVMSgiylyWbJ9C0Wpe.png) *Ma Long (Olympics)* | Field | Value | |-------|-------| | Original Name | Ma Long | | Date of Birth | 20 October 1988 | | Place of Birth | Anshan, Liaoning, China | | Nationality | China | | Profession | Table tennis player | | Active Years | 2003–2024 | | Team | China National Table Tennis Team | | Nicknames | The Dragon, The Dictator | | Olympic Medals | 6 gold medals | | World Championship | 3 (singles) | | World Cup | 3 (singles) | ## Article Content Ma Long (born 20 October 1988 in Anshan) is a Chinese table tennis player. He is regarded as one of the most successful male table tennis players in history due to his achievements at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cup. He held the top position in the world rankings for an extended period and won numerous international titles in both singles and team events across different periods. Born in 1988, which is known as the Year of the Dragon in Chinese astrology, and with the character “Long” in his name meaning “dragon” in Chinese, he has been nicknamed “The Dragon” in the sports community.[^1]During various phases of his career, he was also referred to as “The Dictator”.[^2] ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/07/hfMiMoK2uwmExmCHf9jxqUj7BuFb7sgi.png) *Ma Long (Yapay Zeka ile Oluşturulmuştur)* ### **Early Life and Education** Ma Long was born on 20 October 1988 in Anshan, a city in Liaoning Province, China. He began playing table tennis at the age of five, guided by his father Ma Yajun. Ma Long continued his table tennis training and was admitted to the Liaoning Provincial Sports School at the age of eleven.[^3]There, under the guidance of Wang Jun, he continued his development and participated in regional and national competitions from an early age. It is noted that during his childhood he had a shy personality and occasionally faced disciplinary issues. In this context, during a training camp in 2005, he was disciplined by his coach Li Yi for errors made during practice.[^4]The education and competitions he participated in during his youth laid the foundation for his future professional career. ### **Early Career (2004–2014)** Ma Long achieved his first major international success at the 2004 World Junior Table Tennis Championships, winning titles in four different categories including singles. His performance in the junior category helped establish him as one of the rising stars in China’s table tennis system. In 2006, he was part of the Chinese national team at the World Team Table Tennis Championships held in Bremen, Germany. By winning the tournament, he became world champion and one of the youngest players to achieve this feat.[^5]During the same period, he began regularly competing in international tournaments, participating in 11 ITTF Finals before turning 22 and winning eight of them.[^6] In 2007, he won the Kuwait Open and the Germany Open. In the following years, he strengthened his international standing by winning titles at events such as the Asian Cup and the ITTF Grand Finals. In 2011, he recorded an unbeaten streak of 40 matches. However, due to a decline in performance shortly before the 2012 London Olympics, he was not selected to compete in the singles event.[^7]At the London 2012 Olympics, he won a gold medal in the team event as a member of the Chinese national team. Between 2012 and 2014, he maintained consistent performances in international tournaments and remained among the top-ranked players in the world.[^8]This period formed the foundation for the world and Olympic titles he would later achieve. ### **World Championships and Olympic Triumphs (2015–2021)** ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/06/05/mTIi89Doh95sYpKWsiLN71ie8oEW0QJi.png) *Ma Long, Tokyo 2020 Olimpiyat Oyunları Erkekler Tekler Finalinde (Olympics)* 2015 was one of the most successful years of Ma Long’s individual career. He won the singles title at the World Championships, and also claimed victory at the World Cup and the ITTF Grand Finals in the same year. Following these achievements, he rose to number one in the world rankings and maintained this position for an extended period. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won the gold medal in singles, defeating Zhang Jike 4–0 in the final. He also won a gold medal in the team event at the same Games. With these victories, he completed the “Grand Slam” by holding the singles titles of the World Championships, World Cup, and Olympic Games simultaneously.[^9] Ma Long won the gold medal in singles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He became world singles champion in 2015, 2017, and 2019, and Olympic singles champion in 2016 and 2020. Throughout his career, he has won a total of six Olympic gold medals and numerous Olympic team gold medals as part of the Chinese national team.[^10] ### **Injury and Comeback** Ma Long missed international competitions between 2018 and 2019 due to a knee injury. During this period, he was absent from the tournament calendar for an extended time and took a break from competitive play. His first significant return after the injury came at the 2019 Qatar Open. Despite falling behind 2–0 against Lin Gaoyuan in the final, he won the match 4–2. Later that year, he won the singles title at the World Championships, securing his third World Championship singles title. ### **Final Phase of Career and Withdrawal from World Rankings** ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/07/uHZjbBvrQbKbPRBhzNxaeIahELi6qLIp.jpeg) *Ma Long, at the 2024 WTT Champions Incheon Tournament(World Table Tennis)* The final phase of Ma Long’s career, extending into 2024, was marked by a reduced presence in international tournaments. He competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics and won a gold medal in the team event. The same year’s World Team Championships became his final major world championship competition, in which he contributed to the Chinese national team’s victory. On 31 December 2024, the Chinese Table Tennis Association announced that Ma Long, along with Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, had withdrawn from the ITTF world rankings.[^11]This decision reflects their decision not to actively compete in the international individual tournament circuit, which is based on ranking points. ### **Career Statistics** Ma Long holds the record for the longest tenure at world number one. Early in his career, he achieved rapid success, competing in 11 ITTF Finals before turning 22 and winning eight of them. He competed in four Olympic Games (2012 London, 2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo, and 2024 Paris) and won a total of six Olympic gold medals over his career.[^12] He won the World Championship singles title three times—in 2015, 2017, and 2019—and the World Cup singles title three times—in 2012, 2015, and 2024.[^13] ## Academic Sources and References 1. "All Hail Ma Long, the Comeback King of Qatar!" ITTF. March 31, 2019. Accessed June 4, 2026. 2. "Celebrating the Unparalleled Legacy of Ma Long, Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng." ITTF. January 6, 2025. Accessed June 4, 2026. 3. "Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng Withdraw from ITTF World Rankings." ITTF. January 1, 2025. Accessed June 4, 2026. 4. "Ma Long, the Career of an Olympic Champion." ITTF. August 13, 2016. Accessed June 4, 2026. 5. "Ma Long." Olympics. Accessed June 4, 2026. 6. "Ma Wins Men’s Singles Gold to Complete Career Grand Slam." Olympics. August 12, 2016. Accessed June 4, 2026. 7. Olympics. "Ma Long 🇨🇳 vs Fan Zhendong 🇨🇳 | Men's Singles Table Tennis 🏓 Gold Medal Match | Tokyo Replays." YouTube, 13 August 2021. Accessed June 5, 2026. 8. World Table Tennis. "FULL MATCH | Ma Long vs Truls Moregard | MS R32 | #WTTIncheon 2024." YouTube, March 28, 2024. Accessed June 5, 2026. ## Citations [^1]: "Ma Long, the Career of an Olympic Champion," ITTF, 21 Mart 2017, Erişim Tarihi 4 Haziran 2026, https://www.ittf.com/2016/08/13/ma-long-career-olympic-champion/. [^2]: "All Hail Ma Long, the Comeback King of Qatar!," ITTF, 31 Mart 2019, Erişim Tarihi 4 Haziran 2026, https://www.ittf.com/2019/03/31/hail-ma-long-comeback-king-qatar/. [^3]: Ma Long, the Career of an Olympic Champion [^4]: Ma Long, the Career of an Olympic Champion [^5]: Ma Long, the Career of an Olympic Champion [^6]: "Ma Long," Olympics, Erişim Tarihi 4 Haziran 2026, https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/long-ma. [^7]: Ma Long, the Career of an Olympic Champion [^8]: Ma Long, the Career of an Olympic Champion [^9]: Ma Long, the Career of an Olympic Champion [^10]: "Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng Withdraw from ITTF World Rankings," ITTF, Erişim Tarihi 4 Haziran 2026, https://www.ittf.com/2025/01/01/ma-long-fan-zhendong-and-chen-meng-withdraw-from-ittf-world-rankings/. [^11]: Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng Withdraw from ITTF World Rankings [^12]: Ma Long. [^13]: Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng Withdraw from ITTF World Rankings