Chosen One TBD: Matsushima Sora, Oh Junseong, Lin Shidong, Coton and the Next Generation
In traditional astrology, the Purple Star is the “Emperor Star” — the one born to rule. In sports, it refers to a once-in-a-generation talent who arrives to reshape everything. The question at this World Championships: who among the new generation is that person?
1. Matsushima Sora: Fan Zhendong ALC Special, D09c, ZYRE-03
At the Macao World Cup, after five games Matsushima was leading Wang Chuqin 3-2. He looked, in that moment, like the destined one. The frenetic backhand, the increasingly reinforced forehand coverage, the shots produced in full-speed movement and extended exchanges — breathtaking stuff. If he’d gone on to beat Wang Chuqin, claiming a World Cup title before turning 19, his ceiling would have been hard to imagine.
But he didn’t close it out. Wang Chuqin was simply more seasoned. I was suddenly reminded of Ma Lin at the 1999 World Championships in men’s singles. He came out of nowhere, reached the final as a complete dark horse — and lost the deciding game 22-24 to Liu Guoliang. As it turned out, that was the closest he ever came to a World Championships title.
Some things seem fated. Grab a moment, and your ceiling changes completely. If Matsushima had taken the Macao World Cup, the “emperor star” designation would have landed heavily on him.
Back at these London World Championships: Matsushima lost to Qiu Dang and Duda in the group stage, then fell to Graikauskas in the knockouts. Everything seems to be confirming: not the chosen one, not a future Ma Lin — for now, perhaps nothing more than a Harimoto-tier player.
2. Oh Junseong: Tibhar outer green arylate-carbon special, K3 Pro special on both sides
In the group stage, Oh Junseong beat both Liang Jingkun and Lin Shidong 3-1. He was thinking very clearly throughout. He also beat Wang Chuqin 3-1 at the 2024 Asian Championships. Long-short variation, wide placement, a real game plan.
Last night’s quarterfinal against Wang Chuqin was also fascinating. Wang took the first two games, doing a great job of targeting Oh’s short forehand. In the second game especially, Wang played devastating — 11-1. Normally when a game gets that lopsided, players shut down mentally.
But starting in the third game, Oh recalibrated. He started pushing long actively, stopping the close-table touch exchanges that Wang had set up — and disrupted Wang’s rhythm. Won the next two games.
If Oh had taken the decider, South Korea’s men’s team prospects would have brightened considerably. But in the final game, Wang was just a level higher — attacking Oh’s middle position with controlled variety, not just raw aggression. There was tempo shifting throughout: hard, soft, fast, slow.
3. Lin Shidong: Butterfly outer ALC special, NEO Blue National, D09c
In 2013, the explosive panda Fan Zhendong burst onto the scene and finished second in internal trials for Paris team selection. He was just 16.
Flying clouds at parting, flowing water for ten years. In 2023, Lin Shidong brought that same violent aesthetic back to table tennis. The backhand was simply too fast, too explosive. People gasped and called him the new Grinka. Lin then briefly reached world number one. For a moment, people believed he might be the next emperor star after Fan Zhendong.
But the injuries and slump last year, the too-many losses to opponents he should have beaten — people stopped expecting greatness from him. The hope scaled back to: just don’t lose cheaply in the team event.
A positive sign: two knockout rounds in, Lin Shidong seems to be finding his old rhythm and his violent hitting again. The self-confidence is coming back too. Last night he swept Zhang Yuanjin 3-0, and the backhand was back to its lightning-strike form.
There’s talk that the coaching team is having him remodel his technique to play more consistently. But no matter what technical adjustments are made, he has to stay true to his own style. I’m reminded of a conversation between Fan Zhendong and coach Wu Jingping. Fan asked whether his style was too violent, too irrational. Wu Jingping told him to keep playing exactly that way — that’s your strength.
4. Coton: Donic Relevant, Blue Star A1 on both sides
Donic made him a new blade with his name on it, but he hasn’t switched to it yet.
Over the past two months, Coton has had a moment of clarity. At the Singapore Smash in February, he beat Zhou Qihao and Duda. At the Challengers event in Tunisia in late March, he beat Shinozuka Hiroto 4-1 to win the title.
Last night at the team event, he swept Hugo 3-0 — impressive. Born in 2008, he only just became an adult. His backhand flip is incredibly compact and clean. His serves are excellent too. At roughly the same rhythm, the length variation between short and long is extremely close in timing — both delivered fast — with side-topspin and side-underspin options. On top of the sidespin, he also has a well-concealed reverse-spin serve.
Whether or not Coton has what it takes to be the chosen one, the youth storm he and the Lebrun brothers are kicking up is genuinely stunning. Let’s see who turns out to be the destined player when China’s men’s team meets France tonight.