Huge congrats to our One True King for taking the WTT Finals title in Fukuoka! (Yeah, I know it’s been two months.) After a post-Olympic rough patch and a six-month singles title drought since the Saudi Smash in May, Wang Chuqin is finally back on top. It’s been a while, it’s been a ride.
Jayden and I have talked a lot about Wang’s struggle phase. Coming from other sports backgrounds like swimming and track, we initially underestimated just how brutal the table tennis schedule was and assumed that a slump lasting six months to a year was pretty standard. Honestly, I expected his comeback to happen sometime in mid-2025, maybe at the US Smash (totally unbiased, of course, cuz I’ll be there! 😆). But here we are, way ahead of schedule. He fell, he fought, and he bounced back.
Why “bounce?” Wang’s been bouncing between nonstop tournaments for four months straight. But it’s not just the travel—his game thrives on a rhythm of rapid reflexes and split-second adjustments, like a ping-pong ball ricocheting between rackets. Even when his touch wasn’t at its best, that rhythm kept him in the fight.
Table tennis is often called “chess at light speed” because it’s all about reading the game and making instant strategic shifts. Last October, I raved about Wang’s adaptability when he dealt with those weird seamless balls at the Asian Championships. This time in Fukuoka, he took it up a notch.
Round of 16 vs. Patrick Franziska: Grit Over Perfection
It was clear from the first match that Wang Chuqin wasn’t in peak form. His footwork looked a little shaky; his forehand receive wasn’t landing right, and his shots lacked their usual precision. But he still found ways to win. Take his Round of 16 match against Patrick Franziska, for example. The second game was a bit of a mess, with both players trading awkward errors and the scoreline swinging back and forth. Even so, Wang stayed proactive, trying with different serves until he nailed the short sidespin serve that flipped a 6-7 deficit into a 7-7 tie. That threw Franziska off, leaving him stuck between flipping, fast pushing, and counter-looping. Then came the nail-biting final rallies at 10-10 and 11-10, where Wang showed both patience and killer instinct to close it out. His game wasn’t flawless, but his tactical discipline saved the day.
Quarterfinal vs. Truls Moregard: The Serve Attack Strategy
After surviving Franziska, Wang faced Truls Moregard in a highly anticipated quarterfinal, their first rematch since the Olympics. He dropped the 2nd game, leveling the score at 1-1, then switched gears. He ditched the cautious drop shots, which weren’t landing well that day, and went full send on aggressive third-ball attacks, adding more backhand flips and long heavy-spin pushes on receive. In that game alone, Wang served eight times, mainly targeting Moregard’s mid and forehand zones with short shots, and scored seven points just off those serves. Four of them came from immediate third-ball attacks—counterattacks after the serve (turning 0-2 into 1-2, 3-3 into 4-3, 6-4 into 7-4, 9-5 into 10-5). One was snagged with a quick follow-up after the first return (1-2 to 2-2), and two more points came from Moregard’s struggles on receive (4-3 to 5-3 and 7-4 to 8-4). Moregard kept adjusting his stance, but Wang’s relentless attack-after-service strategy left him no time to recover. Meanwhile, Wang’s counterattacks on Moregard’s nine serves, mostly short serves with flat or side topspin, netted him another four points. In his post-match interview, Wang summed it up simply: “It’s not a revenge… I was just focused on giving my all in every single point, trying to find that ‘in-the-zone’ feeling I’ve had in previous matches.” Mission accomplished.
Semifinal vs. Darko Jorgic: Exposing a Weakness
Next up was the semifinal against Darko Jorgic, who had been on a roll lately. However, Wang quickly identified the weakness in Jorgic’s forehand line and adjusted his tactics, targeting that area with long drives to keep Jorgic out of his comfort zone. By staying aggressive in the rallies, Wang kept Jorgic on the defensive and was unable to dictate the pace. A rough start at 1-3 in the 2nd game turned into a 6-3 lead as Wang strung together five consecutive points, sealing the match with authority.
Final vs. Tomokazu Harimoto: A Statement Win
Then came the final against Tomokazu Harimoto. Who would’ve thought this match would be so one-sided? Harimoto had been on fire, playing on home court and riding high since beating Lin Shidong to win the Asian Championships. But none of that mattered. Wang Chuqin came out firing, imposing his aggressive style by attacking Hari’s forehand line with high-quality drives and using sharp backhand flips to shut down Hari’s signature backhand shots. Everything clicked—Wang’s pre-match prep, tactical execution, and sheer confidence. No one, not even Wang himself, could have predicted that the biggest year-end match would ironically be his easiest. Blink, and you missed it.
More Than Just a Win: A Lesson in Resilience and Strategy
Looking back, Wang Chuqin’s real opponent in Fukuoka wasn’t any particular player—it was his inconsistent touch, struggles with form, and maybe even a bit of self-doubt. With this being the marquee year-end event and possibly the last hope for the Chinese men’s team after his teammates were knocked out earlier, Wang’s win wasn’t just a personal triumph—it was a must, for both himself and the team. (Which, by the way, makes me wonder: why do the CNT and the Chinese public always treat titles as if they automatically belong to China? Is it just taken for granted, no matter which Chinese player is in the spotlight? I mean, I totally get the pride and unity in team matches, but in singles, shouldn’t it be more about the individuals?) The immense pressure seemed to sharpen Wang’s focus, drowning out distractions and noise. As the old saying goes, “cornered, a fighter truly comes alive,” and once again, Wang delivered when it mattered most. It also helped that Coach Wang Hao seemed way more involved this time around, actually stepping up with effective match prep and in-game advice—something that hasn’t always been the case in past tournaments.
The Fukuoka Finals was absolutely worth watching. Beyond witnessing Wang’s comeback, we got a live lesson in on-the-fly tactical adjustments and fighting through adversity to take control. If you want to enhance the experience, take five minutes to watch his post-match interviews from all four rounds. You’ll come away with a whole new appreciation for Wang Chuqin’s mindset and the thought process behind his game.
See Also
Interviews | WTT Finals Fukuoka
WTT Finals Fukuoka 2024 for the Match Videos and Interviews