Recent Table Tennis News: Fan Zhendong, Zhou Qihao, and the ITTF Doubles World Cup
1. Fan Zhendong Signs with Borussia Dusseldorf
Another one-year contract. The year before it was Saarbrucken; the new year brings Dusseldorf (effective July 1, 2026), the club where Timo Boll played for many years. According to reports, the move was being planned as far back as last year, but ultimately didn’t happen then. Clearly, the friendship between Fan Zhendong and Boll is one of the main reasons.
His new teammates are Qiu Dang, Kristian Karlsson, and Hunor Szocs. Over the past year, Qiu Dang and Szocs have improved rapidly, climbing the world rankings to 11th and 28th respectively. With Fan Zhendong as a high-level hitting partner, it seems likely that two penhold players will crack the world men’s singles top ten before long. Karlsson — nicknamed the “European Mini Ma Long” — may also find his form reviving.
Conveniently, all four of them happen to be Butterfly sponsored players. Combined with Boll’s deep involvement in Butterfly’s new product development and early testing, this small group offers a great deal of value for testing and promoting Butterfly’s products.
As for Butterfly’s new blade releases this year: apart from the oddly listed Innerforce Layer ALC penhold, there is the Lim Jonghoon Advance. Word on the street is it will still come out this year, just in the second half.
Some fans have mapped out an idyllic life for Fan Zhendong — joining a new club each year, experiencing different cities. But he probably won’t do that. His current moves look more like “taking it one step at a time” — leaving himself a lot of unknowns, waiting for answers to emerge without any rush.
On whether Fan Zhendong will rejoin the national team for the London World Team Championships, CTTA president Wang Liqin said talks are “ongoing.” The possibility can’t be ruled out, but it’s probably not high. A Grand Slam winner at the peak of his career taking temporary leave and spending two years experiencing life abroad — this is historically unprecedented. It is a sign of the times, and also a “wrinkle” of a specific era, reflecting the complex relationship between the national team, fan culture, and a player’s personal aspirations.
As true fans we naturally want to see Fan Zhendong competing on the world stage, but things are what they are. Let’s broaden our perspective and continue to enjoy his performances in the Bundesliga. As for the LA Olympics — there’s no need to worry about something so far away.
2. Zhou Qihao Earns the World Team Championships Spot
Zhou Qihao won the domestic selection tournament and secured a place at the London World Team Championships. Barring surprises, he will become a new world champion. Under the old Super League policies, that would mean a pay raise — world champions get a different salary scale.
Fan Zhendong, at 29, seems to be stepping back gracefully to embrace new experiences abroad. Zhou Qihao, also 29, continues to battle away at home. Every person is at a different stage of their life, with different goals, and their own kind of brilliance. Take Qian Tianyi, who just got married and left the national team — he was recently seen strolling in the park, watching the elderly residents moving with full energy, and posted a video with the comment: “I’d advise young people to avoid public parks — it’s bad for your self-esteem.”
3. The ITTF Doubles World Cup Will Be Held in 2027
This was announced by the ITTF — not WTT — which at least says something about its credibility. (WTT Xinxiang World Cup men’s singles champion and ITTF Macau World Cup men’s singles top-4 finisher Wang Chuqin just gave you a blank stare…)
The event covers men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Some commentators have criticized it as a gimmick by the ITTF to boost viewership. Fair enough — and though it includes mixed doubles, the top players are unlikely to be excited about it. The calendar is already so packed that calling it oversaturated isn’t too strong.
This doubles World Cup also reminded gear fans of the 2025 Doha World Championships men’s doubles champions Togami Daito and Shinozuka Jumpei — an honor Butterfly celebrated with nothing more than a commemorative T-shirt. The treatment is a world away from what Yoshimura Masaharu received.