Famous Old Tennis Players
Who are the most famous table tennis players in the world? Find out here…
There are many ping pong players around the world, from Europe to Africa and America to Asia.
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Top 10 greatest American tennis players of all time. From being the first black tennis player to get selected to the US Davis Cup team, to being the first. The Palace of Sports hosted charity match of the world top-ranked racket Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark), ranking 10th in WTA rating, as well as the Belarusian tennis player Victoria Azarenka on.
Since the origin of table tennis, there have been many notable players who have contributed to the sport’s development.
Professional Table Tennis Players
Most people play table tennis for fun as amatuers or recreational players because they do not take the game seriously.
Professional players are excellent and take their game very seriously. They are highly skilled and play table tennis tournaments and world table tennis competitions.
The most dominant professional TT players in the world are the Chinese players.
Best Table Tennis Players
Who are the best ping pong players in the world today? The best players in the world rank highly at the ITTF world ranking.
The International Table Tennis Federation produces a list of top-ranking players every month. The table tennis ranking is a list of all the best male and female players in the world.
Doubtlessly, the Chinese players have always dominated the world table tennis ranking since it began.
Famous Table Tennis Players
Who are the most famous TT players in the history of table tennis? There have been great players who have played table tennis over the years. They can also be called table tennis legends.
Here are some famous ping pong players from the past to the modern-day the sport.
Zhuang Zedong
Zhuang Zedong is from China and was a significant player in the ping pong diplomacy that led to the United States team’s visit to China in 1971. He won three table tennis world championships from 1961 to 1965.
Zhuang Zedong is one of China best table tennis player in the history of table tennis. He won three world championships in his career. He was the major player in the ping pong diplomacy that led to the United States table tennis team’s invitation to China in 1971.
Glenn Cowan
Glenn Cowan, an American ping pong player, is also famous in table tennis for his role in the ping pong diplomacy and was part of the U.S.A team that visited China in 1971.
John Hilton
John Hilton is another famous TT player; he won the European table tennis championships using a combination racket of ordinary and anti-spin rubbers in 1980.
Jan-Ove Waldner
Jan-Ove Waldner is another famous player in modern-day table tennis. He led the Swedish team that defeated the Chinese team in 1989.
Olympic Table Tennis Players
Table tennis was introduced in the 1988 Olympic Games held in Seoul South Korea. Yoo nan kyu of South Korea became the first Olympics table tennis champion.
The Chinese players have won most of the gold medals since table tennis became an Olympic sport.
The Swedish players led by Jan-Ove Waldner have also excelled in the Olympics by beating the Chinese team and dominated the sport between 1989 to 1993.
The Swedish table tennis players have been the only team players that have challenged the Chinese table tennis supremacy in the last 50 years.
Chinese Table Tennis Players
In the history of table tennis, the Chinese have dominated both in the male and female categories of the world table tennis ranking. The top male Chinese players are Ma Long, Zhang Jike, Wang Hao and Ma Lin, while the top female players are Ding Ning, Guo Yan, Liu Shiwen and Guo Yue.
In 1989 Chinese dominance was seized by Swedish table tennis players led by Jan-Ove Waldner, they defeated the Chinese team in the world championship of that year. After some few years, China regained its dominance of the sport up to this day.
Famous Chinese Table Tennis Champions
Deng Yaping
One of China best table tennis player in the female category is Deng Yaping. She won four Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996, and 18 world titles.
China dominates the world ranking…
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Wang Liqin
Wang Liqin is a Chinese table tennis player. As of October 2011, he is ranked 8th in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
Ma Lin
Ma Lin is a Chinese table tennis player. He is the world’s number seven ranked player as of 04 January 2012 in the International.
Wang Hao
Wang Hao is a Chinese table tennis player. He became the World Champion in Men’s Singles in Yokohama, Japan in May 2009, defeating 3-time World Champion Wang Liqin 4-0.
Wang Nan
Wang Nan is a female Chinese table tennis player from Liaoning. Wang remained as world number one female table tennis player on the ITTF ranking system from January 1999 to November 2002. She is left-handed.
The secret of Chinese Table Tennis Dominance
What is the secret of Chinese dominance in table tennis? In China, table tennis is a national sport. It is just the way basketball is viewed in the United States.
Chinese table tennis players train very hard and are also very disciplined. It is not easy to qualify for the Chinese national table tennis team.
There are so many good players in China, and they spend so much time training together developing new techniques and tactics that are superior to other countries players.
Because of the abundance of talented players in China, the Chinese players have to try very hard to qualify for their national team list.
Chinese players, who do not make the national team in China, have to immigrate to other countries. It is why Chinese players can be seen playing for countries like the United States, Canada. France, Poland, to mention a few.
A typical example is Wang Chen, a female Chinese player who immigrated to the United States in 2000 represented America at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
ITTF Waiting Period Rule
After the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the International Table Tennis Federation introduced waiting periods to prevent players from representing other countries after immigrating.
The reason was because of the increase of Chinese players representing other countries in world table tennis tournaments. It was making it impossible for other younger players to excel in their own countries.
Famous Old Tennis Players Facebook Brett Field
A player can now only represent other countries in world table tennis events if they are less than 21 years old when they move out of their own country.
Players under the age of 15 must wait for 3 years before they can be eligible to play for other national associations while players between 15-18 years old must wait for 5 years and players between 18 -21 years old must wait 7 years, respectively.
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The history of modern tennis originates from the middle of the XIX century. Already in 1877, the first Wimbledon tournament was held, since 1900, played the Davis Cup team.
In the middle of last century there was a division of tennis into amateur and professional. Only since 1967, these concepts have merged, so began a new, Open era. It was with her that the countdown of modern tennis and its stars began.
About the greatest players and will be discussed below. The measure of their success was the victory in the Grand Slam tournaments (Championships in Australia, France, England, USA). And to collect a full Grand Slam (to win all 4 championships during the season) managed to units. Rafael Nadal (b. 1986).
Nadal’s sports career began in 2001. Since then, this Spaniard was able to win the Golden Career Helmet. Nadal in different years won all the tournaments of the Slam (majors), and also won the Olympics. And all this in singles. Only Nadal was able to win in 2010 the so-called Red Helmet. This is the name of a win-win series of three successively won tournaments of the Masters series and the French Open. Legendary already Spanish tennis player holds a record for the number of matches won in a row on one cover. From April 8, 2005 to May 20, 2007 Nadal on the ground won 81 consecutive victories. It is noteworthy that in that series also included two victories at the Roland Garros. Nadal has already won 7 victories in this dirt tournament, beating the record of Bjorn Borg. In 2008, the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final won his main rival Roger Federer 6: 4, 6: 4, 6: 7, 6: 7, 9: 7. That match lasted a record for the tournament 4 hours 48 minutes. Thanks to the victory, Nadal was able to become the first tennis player after the Borg, who during the year won both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. In a year this achievement will repeat Federer, and a year later – again Nadal. In 2010, he succeeded another achievement. Nadal was able to win three Grand Slam tournaments in a row during the year, which was only possible for Rod Laver in 1969. In total in the collection of awards of the tennis player 11 wins in the Grand Slam tournaments. Nadal in 19 years could become the second racket of the world, repeating the achievement of Boris Becker. In 2008, he was the best tennis player in the world. In the name of Nadal, even an asteroid is named.
Bjorn Borg (born 1956).
The active career of the Swedish athlete lasted from 1973 to 1993. During this time, Bjorg won 11 titles of the Grand Slam. However, out of four majors, he was only two – “Roland Garros” and “Wimbledon”. In Australia, the Borg generally spoke only once, reaching in 1974 to the third round. In the US Open, the Swede played regularly, but was able to reach the finals four times. There he was stopped twice by local players, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. But Borg shone on Roland Garros, where he won 6 times, and at Wimbledon (5 wins). Borg remains the only player in history who has been able to win three times in Paris and London. In total in single category Borg won 77 tournaments, for 109 weeks he held the title of First racket of the world. Margaret Smith-Court (born.1942).
The great Australian tennis player was able to win as many as 24 Grand Slam titles, only now in the Open Era had only 11 of them. But it was Smith-Court who in 1970 became the first woman to win the Grand Slam. Australian became the only athlete who won the Grand Slam in two places at once. Besides solitary it was also a mixed pair. For her rich career, Kort played 85 times in the finals of the major in different categories, this record is shared with her by Martina Navratilova. Court was able to win in singles more than half of the Grand Slam tournaments, in which she participated (24 out of 47). In total, Margaret has 92 single titles. Also, the tennis player is the owner of another achievement – she won every major in each rank at least twice.At the end of his glorious career, Smith-Court became a priest in the Pentecostal church. Rod Laver (born 1938).
Although Roy Emerson outscored the number of Grand Slam tournaments won (12 vs. 11), it is Leiver who is known more. After all, this is the only man who was able to assemble the Great Helmet after the beginning of the Open Era. In addition, Laver back in 1962, won 4 major tournaments of the season, though, then still in the status of an amateur. Already at 21, the promising Australian reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost. Then there were 16 more finals and 11 victories in them. Successfully, Laver represented his country in the Davis Cup. From 1959 to 1973, thanks to him, 5 victories were won in this prestigious team competition. Special in the career of Leiver was in 1969, when he managed to win the Grand Slam. Then he shone on the courts, winning 17 tournaments from 32, in which he participated. Of the 122 games, Leiver won then 106. The Australian’s active career ended only in 1977. In total he managed to win in 184 tournaments, however, only 47 fell on the professional era. Leiver was distinguished by universalism, he was perfectly prepared, both physically and tactically. It was one of the first tennis players to actively use the top-spin in their arsenal. Today, Rod Leaver is officially recognized as the legend of Australian sport and in his honor an asteroid is also named.
Pete Sampras (born in 191).
The legendary American turned professional at age 17. A unique case, this great tennis player won 14 Grand Slam tournaments, but “Roland Garros” he never yielded. In France, Sampras only once reached the semifinals, where he lost three sets to the future champion, Yevgeny Kafelnikov. But at Wimbledon Sampras was able to become a real legend. The tennis player managed to outperform the Borg and to win in London as many as 7 times. From 1993 to 2000, only once, in 1996, Sampras gave up his throne to the king of Wimbledon. It is noteworthy that in 2001 Sampras in the fourth round lost to a new rising star, 19-year-old Roger Federer with a score of 6: 7, 7: 6, 4: 6, 7: 6, 5: 7. Thus, the old king allegedly handed the keys to the tournament to a new one. Throughout his career, Sampras was number one in the rating for 286 weeks, a record that will be beaten only in 2012 by the same Federer. In singles, the American won in 64 tournaments. Sampras had his own, special style. He was characterized by a powerful confident supply and aggressive exit to the grid. The tennis player has played well since the summer, he was distinguished by a corporate smash. But this style, perfectly suitable for fast grass, was not suitable for slow soil. This caused Sampras’ failure at Roland Garros.
Serena Williams (b.1981).
The active career of the tennis player is still going on, so that she can still replenish her impressive collection of her trophies. When on the courts in 2000-2001 the star Venus Williams rose, many experts noted that her younger sister is waiting for an even more glorious career. Already in 2002-2003, Serena assembled the non-classical Grand Slam. She was able to win all four tournaments in a single place in a row, but not for one year. In total, Serena’s collection currently holds 15 Grand Slam tournaments, while she won 13 more with her sister in doubles. From her 19 major finals, Serena won 15, while twice she conceded to her sister Venus. Truth and 6 victories over it and gained. It was Serena who was the only tennis player who could win the Golden Helmet both singles and doubles. This was not possible neither the legendary Steffi Graf, nor any of the men. Serena is distinguished by a powerful aggressive tennis. She literally sweeps her rivals off the court. She does not hesitate to throw a scandal to have a psychological impact on the judges and rival. Roger Federer (born in981).
Famous Old Tennis Players Women
This tennis player is the most titled in modern history.The Swiss is the only one who managed to win two Grand Slam tournaments five times in a row. He was submitted to Wimbledon in 2003-2007 and US Open 2004-2008. In total, Federer has 17 victories on major cards. The victory at Roland Garros in 2009 made the Swiss athlete the sixth in history who managed to win all four Grand Slam tournaments. Federer became the first after Agassi, who managed to do it on different covers. The Swiss has another record – in the Grand Slam tournaments he played in 24 finals. 10 of them entered the continuous series from which Roger won 8. In 2012, Roger became only the third tennis player in history, who played 8 times in the Wimbledon final, he became also the third in history who won 7 times this championship. Federer was also one of the oldest winners of the Grand Slam, winning the championship at the age of almost 31 years. In 2012, the Swiss spent his 1000th career match, having won his 2000 set. For most of Federer’s career, there was not a strong tennis player who would challenge him. Nadal is younger than him for 5 years. With Spaniard Federer spent 8 finals of majors, winning only twice at Wimbledon. Four times in the finals Andy Roddick surrendered, three times – Andy Murray. Federer owns records of staying on the first line of the rating – he spent 161 weeks without a break in 2004-1007, but Federer has already been in this status for more than 235 weeks. In the near future, only Nadal will be able to surpass the legendary Swiss. Federer is distinguished by clever tennis, he has no weaknesses. Roger knows everything about what his victories say on coverings of any type.
Chris Evert (born 1954).
If you can call Nadal the real king of the earth, then Chris Evert can be considered a woman. From her 18 wins in the Grand Slam 10 tournaments, she won on the ground, with seven on Roland Garros. The remaining three are in the US Championship, which in those years had such coverage. The first and last victory in the major was in Paris. Ground courts gave Evert and the longest series of wins in the Grand Slam tournaments. Four years in a row, an American won the US Open. But the tennis player was quite universal. For her career she managed to win on all the major, five wins were won on the grass. Three times an American won at home on the hard. Evert was famous for her two-handed backhand. The fact is that speaking among juniors, Chris was still quite small and weak, which was reflected in the use of such equipment. Elegant tennis player loved the press and the public. For calmness and endurance, Evert was even called the Snow Maiden. In the late 1970s the sportswoman got herself a worthy competitor – Martin Navratilova. Their confrontation became epic for women’s tennis. In total, Chris Evert won 157 titles in singles. In the first rounds of the Grand Slam tournaments, she never lost. The personal life of the athlete was not so successful, among her many novels is even the legendary tennis player Jimmy Connors.
Martina Navratilova (born 1956).
If the main victories of Evert fell on Roland Garros, then Navratilova won Wimbledon. It was there that her first and last victory in the Grand Slam tournaments took place. Of its 18 majors, exactly half came to London. At the same time Navratilova won there 6 consecutive victories from 1982 to 1987. Three more times she managed to win in Australia, when there was a grass cover. Calendar Helmet athlete did not submit, but on her account another record – six wins on major successors in a row. The period between Wimbledon 1983 and the US Championship was unique. Another 14 finals in the Grand Slam tournaments Navratilova lost. The career of Martina was marked by a grandiose rivalry with Chris Evert. They played 80 matches among themselves, out of 10 – in the finals of the major. Seven of them remained behind Martin.In her career, Navratilova scored 167 victories in singles, an absolute record for both men and women. 331 weeks she was the first racket of the world. And in the doubles, Navratilova shone. She won there 177 titles, 41 of them in Grand Slam tournaments. The last major victory came to Navratilova in 50 years! In the USSR, the success of this tennis player for a long time was hushed up, although in the 1980s she was not equal. The fact is that at the age of 18 the Czech sportswoman emigrated to the United States. Also, Martina became one of the first athletes who openly confessed to their homosexuality.
Steffi Graf (gen..1969).
Famous Women Tennis Players 1980s
In 1988, the German tennis player did the impossible – she won the Grand Slam. In addition, that year she also won the gold of the Olympics. Steffi Graf became a worthy successor to Martina Navratilova. After losing her in the finals of the major twice, the German won 4 wins. In 1995-1996, the German also won all the majored in which she participated. Then the Australian Open she missed at will. In 1988-1990, Graf won 8 of the 9 Grand Slam tournaments played, losing to Arante Sanchez. In 1988, at the peak of its form, the German won the fastest victory in history in the finals of the majors. With a score of 6: 0, 6: 0 in just 34 minutes the Soviet athlete Natalya Zvereva was defeated. In total in the single category the German won 107 victories, 22 of them in the Grand Slam tournaments (9 lost finals). She was number one for 377 weeks. The German is a universal player, who did not care what coat to play on. This is the only tennis player who has won every Grand Slam tournament at least 4 times. Most of all wins at the Earl at Wimbledon – 7, and the first and last major came at the “Roland Garros”. German women could become a rival Monica Seles, but in 1993 a crazy fan Gunther Parche wounded her with a knife. Finally, from that blow, Monica never recovered, and the German did not have worthy opponents. The Count’s reputation throughout her career was unblemished, she did not fuss, she did not start stormy novels. In 1991, unexpectedly for all Germans married to the legendary tennis player Andre Agassi, the couple has two children.