For table tennis Olympic champion Ma Long, when he was in his 20s, every match was a battle he aimed to win. But, as he approaches his 36th birthday, his perspective has shifted.
Now, he's learned to savor the game.
In the opening round of the men's singles at the World Table Tennis China Smash in Beijing, he made a heartfelt entrance, holding the hands of his two sons — fulfilling a long-held wish to have them watch him compete in person.
On Sunday, after a grueling seven-game final where he lost to his 19-year-old teammate Lin Shidong, Ma left the court with a smile.
"I wouldn't call this a loss," Ma reflected. "Standing on this stage and making it to the final, it's already a success, something beyond what I imagined."
The six-time Olympic gold medalist hinted that this match could mark his final appearance on the international stage.
"After so many competitions, I've started to think about what comes next. The World Table Tennis Smash series holds a special place in my heart, and this one in Beijing feels like the perfect ending," he said.
Ma says that he hopes his legacy will be more than just about his titles — that fans will remember his enduring love for the sport as well.
The first time a WTT Grand Smash event has been held in China, the inaugural WTT China Smash wrapped up on Sunday at Beijing's Shougang Park, with the host sweeping the competition in a display reminiscent of its dominance at the Paris Games.
The China Smash also marked the first time a top-tier international table tennis event has been held in Beijing since the city hosted the World Championships in 1961.
The Chinese squad claimed both the champion and runner-up positions across all five categories — men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.
ALSO READ: Lin Shidong, Sun Yingsha win all-Chinese finals at WTT China Smash
The finalists in each event demonstrated the depth of China's table tennis team, underscoring its preparation for the new Olympic cycle leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The men's singles final between Ma and rising star Lin was seen by many as a symbolic "passing of the torch". After the match, Lin invited the audience to give a round of applause to "Captain Long".
Ma noted that Lin's talent hasn't emerged overnight. "He's been performing well over the past year, but before the Olympics, not many people noticed him. Recently, these young players have really caught people's attention, showing that China has a lot of strong talent. I believe the spotlight will be on them more in the future."
For Lin, this tournament marked his first WTT Grand Smash men's singles final. Defeating Ma to win the title, Lin has now positioned himself as a formidable contender for the next Olympic cycle.
Lin also competed in men's doubles and mixed doubles, reaching the finals in all three categories. He and his partner, Kuai Man, took home the mixed doubles title.
"The competition was incredibly tough, and each match was a challenge," Lin said.
With the WTT Grand Smash being the highest-level event in the World Table Tennis program, Kuai acknowledged that winning their first title at the start of a new Olympic cycle was an ideal start. "I hope to continue performing at my best in every competition moving forward," she said.
At the Paris Olympics, Wang Chuqin suffered an unexpected early exit in the men's singles, bowing out in the round of 32, and the China Smash brought a similar disappointment, as he again fell at the same stage. After the match, Wang acknowledged he had not yet fully returned to his normal competitive form since the Olympics.
Hoping to regroup in the men's doubles, Wang did just that. Teaming up with Liang Jingkun, the pair secured their first men's doubles title together. They defeated fellow Chinese teammates Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Shidong in the final.
One of the highlights of the tournament came when 84-year-old Zhang Xielin, a legendary figure in Chinese table tennis and the country's first mixed doubles world champion, presented the mixed doubles trophy to Lin Shidong and Kuai.
ALSO READ: Chinese paddlers Lin/Kuai claim first China Smash title in mixed doubles
While attending the event, Zhang also toured the Smash Park. Seeing so many people passionate about table tennis, Zhang felt a deep sense of pride. "It shows that table tennis truly is China's national sport," he said.
Zhang emphasized that the spirit of the sport must be passed on by encouraging more young people to play and enjoy table tennis.
"Tournaments like this are essential in fostering that interest, and I think it's fantastic," he added.
According to the organizers, ticket sales for the tournament totaled nearly 60 million yuan ($8.5 million), with several days selling out in advance.
Sun shines again
In the women's singles final, Sun Yingsha defeated her teammate Wang Manyu 4-2, capturing the title at the China Smash.
Despite not having a structured training regimen since the Paris Olympics, Sun showcased her dominance by securing back-to-back championships at the WTT Champions Macao and the China Smash, solidifying her status as the world's No 1 player.
ALSO READ: China's Sun Yingsha first to beat 10,000-point mark in ITTF world rankings
Sun became the first paddler to exceed the 10,000-point mark as the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) released its latest world rankings on Tuesday.
Sun earned 2,000 points from her win at the China Smash, taking her tally to a record-high 10,800 points.
This match marked the 23rd encounter between Sun and Wang Manyu, and as the new Olympic cycle unfolds, more finals are expected to be contested by this dynamic duo.
"We know each other very well, and every match is fiercely competitive, usually going to six or seven games. I'm happy to win," Sun said.
The two players have been rivals since childhood, often training and living together. "We are not just teammates; we are also strong competitors. It's this rivalry that pushes us to keep improving," she added.
Earlier, Sun and her partner Wang Yidi finished runners-up in the women's doubles final, losing 3-1 to teammates Chen Xingtong and Qian Tianyi.
READ MORE: Qualifying top seed crushes out on day 1 as WTT China Smash launches
On Saturday, Paris Olympics weightlifting champion Li Wenwen attended the event to support Sun. The two athletes recently became friends during a joint event in Hong Kong and Macao. "She's a two-time Olympic champion and an incredible athlete. Her sporting spirit is something we all can learn from," Sun said.
