Ma Long (simplified Chinese:马龙; traditional Chinese: 馬龍; pinyin: Mǎ Lóng; born 20 October 1988 in Anshan) is a Chinese table tennis player. In 2015 and 2017 he became World Champion in Singles, and in 2016 and 2020 he became Olympic champion.
Career
Ma first appeared internationally in 2006, where he won gold with the team at the World Table Tennis Championships. In 2007 he apperead more internationally in appearance, which he rose in the world rankings. After good performences in the year, Ma won the Kuwait and Qatar Open as well as the World Tour Grand Finals. Nevertheless, he wasn't nominated for the 2008 Olympic Games. In 2009 he took part in World Championships for the first time, where he lost in the semifinal and bronze won. In 2010 Ma Long with the Chinese Team won gold at the World Championship. In the final they beat Germany 3:1. In 2011 took part in World Championships again, where he lost to Wang Hao in the semifinal again. So he won bronze again.
In 2012 he wasn't nominated for the Olympic Games, but Ma Long won gold at the World Championships with the Team again. He also participated in the same year for the first time at the World Cup, where he won gold after a final victory over Timo Boll. 2013 Ma lost the third time against Wang Hao in the semifinals at the World Championships. In the same year he won the World Tour Grand Finals and the German and Qatar Open. 2014 he won with team the goldmedal at the WTTC and Ma took part in the World Cup event, where he lost to Zhang Jike in the final. 2015 was his best year: Ma won the Qatar Open and won silver at the Kuwait Open. At the World Championships he won the first time gold in the singles event and was since this event Nr.1 in the world ranking. He also won the World Cup and the World Tour Grand Finals.
In 2016 Ma won for the seven time the WTTC with the team. In this year he won the Kuwait, China and Qatar Open too. 2017 won Ma for second time the WTTC in the singles categorie. In the final he beat Fan Zhendong. In June 2017, when he played the China Open he boycotted this event and must pay a fine from $20,000 dollars. After that, Ma Long played for a long time no events. In 2018 he won the German Open and is now the number 7 in the world ranking. At the WTTC the Chinese team won gold, he could win the China Open, but lost at the Japan Open to Tomokazu Harimoto.