Background and career
Fan Zhendong (Chinese: 樊振东; pinyin: Fán Zhèndōng, pronounced [fǎn ʈʂə̂ntʊ́ŋ]; born 22 January 1997) is a Chinese professional table tennis player. He is the reigning Olympic gold medallist in men's singles, with his victory at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris making him the 6th male player (and 11th player overall) to achieve a Grand Slam. He is also a two-time World Champion and four-time World Cup champion in men's singles.
Fan Zhendong was the youngest ITTF World Tour Champion, a record that was later surpassed by Tomokazu Harimoto. His attacking style of play involves explosive footwork and powerful loops on both forehand and backhand wings. His thick-set build has led fans and commentators to refer to him as "Little Fatty" (Chinese: 小胖; pinyin: Xiǎo Pàng).
Fan is studying at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
