The Best Pro Ping Pong Players Of All Time, Ranked
Sports|Athletes

The Best Pro Ping Pong Players Of All Time, Ranked

Ranker Sports
Updated August 24, 2024 43 items
Ranked By
3.6K votes
987 voters
Voting Rules
Vote up the ping-pong players who have most dominated the sport

When discussing the pantheon of sports legends, the best ping pong players of all time often spark intense debates among enthusiasts. These athletes bring a mix of speed, agility, and tactical genius to the table, making their matches a blend of artistry and warfare. Ping pong, or table tennis as it’s more formally known, has seen extraordinary talents who have pushed the sport to new heights, winning accolades and setting records that seem untouchable.

Ma Long, for instance, is hailed as perhaps the greatest player in modern history. His relentless attack and skillful backhand have earned him multiple World Championships and Olympic golds. Ma Lin, another Chinese powerhouse, became famous for his exceptional touch and control, particularly in serving and his deadly third ball attack. Meanwhile, Jan-Ove Waldner, known as "The Mozart of Table Tennis," remains a revered figure. His legendary career includes a longevity that allowed him to compete across decades, mesmerizing fans with his strategic genius and pioneering style.

Which player truly deserves the title of GOAT in the world of table tennis? Dive into the records and stories and vote on the best table tennis pros of all time. Your vote could help decide which players truly reshaped the sport.

Latest additions: Chen Meng, Fan Zhendong
Over 900 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Pro Ping Pong Players Of All Time, Ranked
  • Ma Long
    1

    Ma Long

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    3x Olympic gold medalist
    12x world champion
    8x World Cup winner

    597 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Ma Lin
    2

    Ma Lin

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    3x Olympic gold medalist
    9x world champion
    6x World Cup winner

    275 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Xu Xin
    3

    Xu Xin

    2016 Olympic gold medalist
    10x world champion
    7x World Cup winner

    246 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Jan-Ove Waldner
    4

    Jan-Ove Waldner

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    1992 Olympic gold medalist
    2000 Olympic silver medalist
    6x world champion
    2x World Cup winner

    457 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Zhang Jike
    5

    Zhang Jike

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    3x Olympic gold medalist
    2016 Olympic silver medalist
    7x world champion
    6x World Cup winner

    231 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Wang Liqin
    6

    Wang Liqin

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    2x Olympic gold medalist
    11x world champion
    3x World Cup winner

    142 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Wang Hao
    7

    Wang Hao

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    2x Olympic gold medalist
    9x world champion
    7x World Cup winner

    123 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Zhang Yining
    8

    Zhang Yining

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    4x Olympic gold medalist
    10x world champion
    4x World Cup winner

    98 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Fan Zhendong
    9

    Fan Zhendong

    9x World Table Tennis gold medalist

    1x Olympic gold medalist (2024)

    36 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Ding Ning
    10

    Ding Ning

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    3x Olympic gold medalist
    2012 Olympic silver medalist
    8x world champion
    9x World Cup winner

    96 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Jörgen Persson
    11

    Jörgen Persson

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    5x world champion
    2x World Cup winner
    9x European Championships gold medalist

    119 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Liu Guoliang
    12

    Liu Guoliang

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    2x Olympic gold medalist
    2000 Olympic silver medalist
    7x world champion
    1996 World Cup winner

    115 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Deng Yaping
    • Photo:
      • Twitter
    13

    Deng Yaping

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    4x Olympic gold medalist
    9x world champion
    5x World Cup winner

    90 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Chen Meng
    14

    Chen Meng

    4x ITTF World Tour winner

    2x Olympic gold medalist (2020, 2024)

    23 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Viktor Barna
    • Photo:
      • Twitter
    15

    Viktor Barna

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    22x world champion

    113 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Chen Qi
    • Photo:
      • ITTF
    16

    Chen Qi

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    2004 Olympic gold medalist
    4x world champion

    40 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Wang Nan
    17

    Wang Nan

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    4x Olympic gold medalist
    2008 Olympic silver medalist

    55 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Li Xiaoxia
    18

    Li Xiaoxia

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    3x Olympic gold medalist
    2016 Olympic silver medalist
    9x world champion
    7x World Cup winner

    54 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Angelica Rozeanu
    19

    Angelica Rozeanu

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    17x world champion
    2x European Championships gold medalist

    58 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Kong Linghui
    20

    Kong Linghui

    2x Olympic gold medalist
    8x world champion
    1995 World Cup winner

    88 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Peter Karlsson
    21

    Peter Karlsson

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    5x world champion

    50 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Guo Yue
    22

    Guo Yue

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    2x Olympic gold medalist
    10x world champion

    51 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Ferenc Sidó
    • Photo:
      • European Table Tennis Hall of Fame
    23

    Ferenc Sidó

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    9x world champion
    3x European Championships gold medalist

    42 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Mária Mednyánszky
    24

    Mária Mednyánszky

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    18x world champion

    35 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Ichiro Ogimura
    25

    Ichiro Ogimura

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    12x world champion
    5x Asian Championships gold medalist

    79 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Laszlo Bellak
    • Photo:
      • Twitter
    26

    Laszlo Bellak

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    7x world champion

    20 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Miklós Szabados
    • Photo:
      • user uploaded image
    27

    Miklós Szabados

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    15x world champion

    33 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Ladislav Štípek
    • Photo:
      • ITTF
    28

    Ladislav Štípek

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    5x world champion
    1958 European Championships gold medalist

    28 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Zoran Primorac
    29

    Zoran Primorac

    1988 Olympic silver medalist
    2x European Championship gold medalist
    2x World Cup winner

    56 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Jean-Philippe Gatien
    30

    Jean-Philippe Gatien

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    1992 Olympic silver medalist
    1993 world champion
    1994 World Cup winner

    35 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Richard Bergmann
    31

    Richard Bergmann

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    7x world champion

    29 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Li Ju
    32

    Li Ju

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    2000 Olympic gold medalist
    2000 Olympic silver medalist

    29 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Hyun Jung-hwa
    • Photo:
      • Twitter
    33

    Hyun Jung-hwa

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    1988 Olympic gold medalist
    3x world champion
    1990 World Cup winner

    27 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Bohumil Váňa
    • Photo:
      • European Table Tennis Hall of Fame
    34

    Bohumil Váňa

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    13x world champion

    25 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Ivan Andreadis
    • Photo:
      • ITTF
    35

    Ivan Andreadis

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    9x world champion

    23 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Qiao Hong
    • Photo:
      • Twitter
    36

    Qiao Hong

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    2x Olympic gold medalist
    1992 Olympic silver medalist

    32 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Toshiaki Tanaka
    37

    Toshiaki Tanaka

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    5x world champion

    28 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Nobuhiko Hasegawa
    38

    Nobuhiko Hasegawa

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    5x world champion
    2x Asian Games gold medalist

    21 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Zoltán Mechlovits
    • Photo:
      • ITTF
    39

    Zoltán Mechlovits

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    6x world champion

    21 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Fujie Eguchi
    • Photo:
      • ITTF
    40

    Fujie Eguchi

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    6x world champion
    1953 Asian Championships silver medalist

    18 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Marie Kettnerová
    • Photo:
      • European Table Tennis Hall of Fame
    41

    Marie Kettnerová

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    6x world champion

    24 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Anna Sipos
    • Photo:
    42

    Anna Sipos

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    11x world champion

    16 votes
    A ping-pong legend?
  • Gertrude Pritzi
    • Photo:
      • ITTF
    43

    Gertrude Pritzi

    ITTF Hall of Famer

    5x world champion

    16 votes
    A ping-pong legend?