Who Is the GOAT of Table Tennis? 100 Years of History and Magic

The ITTF has just released an epic documentary (video above) celebrating the centenary of our sport (1926-2026). It is 40 minutes of pure history, but since the video is in English, I made a point of dissecting every detail to bring you what really matters. This is not just a retrospective; it is the story of the revolutions that shaped the racket you hold today.

TL;DR: the ITTF documentary tells how the game was born in British basements, was turned upside down by Hiroji Sato’s sponge, saw the Swedish miracle and the Chinese symphony, and ends with Hugo Calderano’s 2025 World Cup. At the end, the coach picks his GOATs: Deng Yaping, Waldner and Ma Long.

The beginning: when rackets were corks

Did you know that table tennis started out as Whiff-Waff in British clubs? In the late 19th century, it was an elite after-dinner pastime. It was only in 1926 that the ITTF was founded in London. Back then, Hungary dominated everything. The legendary Victor Barna, with his surreal 41 medals at world championships, was the face of the sport.

The sponge revolution and the end of “Marty Supreme”

The documentary highlights a painful break in 1952. Until then, the American Marty Reisman, “Marty Supreme”, was the king of hardbat. Everything changed when the Japanese player Hiroji Sato showed up with a thick, soft sponge. Sato didn’t make the classic sound of impact; the ball came out silent, but with a spin and speed that Reisman couldn’t read. It was the beginning of modern table tennis.

Sweden: the miracle and the Glenn Östh orchestra

Many say that Jan-Ove Waldner faced China alone, but the documentary and history prove he was the sun of a flawless constellation. Under the strategic command of Glenn Östh, Sweden built the greatest challenge the “Wall” has ever faced:

• Jan-Ove Waldner (the Mozart): the first man to complete the Grand Slam. He won Olympic gold in Barcelona (1992) and was a two-time singles world champion (1989 and 1997). The video highlights his absurd feat in Manchester in 1997, where he was world champion without losing a single set, 21 to 0 overall.
• Jörgen Persson: the pillar of consistency. Singles world champion in Chiba (1991), Persson was Waldner’s ideal partner, reaching historic finals and keeping Sweden on top for almost two decades.
• Mikael Appelgren: the master of control and counter-attack. He was a three-time European singles champion and a world doubles champion. His left hand was the Chinese players’ nightmare, and it was fundamental in the team victories.
• Team dominance: Sweden didn’t just win, it dominated. There were four team world titles (1989, 1991, 1993 and the historic return in 2000). The documentary reverently recalls the 5-0 over China in the Dortmund final in 1989, a score that shocked the planet.

Names like Erik Lind and Peter Karlsson rounded out this team of legends, proving that the Swedish miracle was, above all, a triumph of teamwork and tactical intelligence.

China: the unbroken symphony

Since 1996, China has won almost 90% of all world titles available. The documentary details how this hegemony was built through legends who shaped the modern game:

• The women’s dynasty: the video pays tribute to the era of Deng Yaping (the first great sovereign), followed by Wang Nan and the “invincible” Zhang Yining, who retired at the peak as Olympic and world champion.
• The tactical architects: the transition to modern table tennis went through the hands of Liu Guoliang (master of the short pips and of the serve) and Kong Linghui, the first to unify the major titles.
• The golden trio: the documentary highlights the era of Wang Liqin (the giant of physical power), Ma Lin (the master of touch and of the classic penhold style) and Wang Hao, the man who revolutionized the reverse penhold backhand (RPB) and was the direct mentor of the next generation.
• The modern phenomena: you can’t talk about history without mentioning Zhang Jike, the “mad dog”, who holds the record for the fastest Grand Slam in history (445 days), and his immediate successor Fan Zhendong, who consolidated his greatness by inheriting the world throne with impeccable technique.
• The captain: and, at the center of it all, Ma Long. The video crowns him as the only man to win the double Grand Slam, defining what it means to be perfection on two legs.

The video points out that the Austrian Werner Schlager, in 2003, was the last non-Chinese player to win the men’s singles world title, a reminder of how relentless the Chinese training system is.

Brazil: Hugo Calderano and the future

The climax for us Brazilians is seeing the spotlight given to Hugo Calderano. The documentary celebrates Hugo as the great force that changed the balance of the sport in the WTT era.

Hugo’s title at the 2025 World Cup is cited as the milestone when the world realized that Chinese hegemony has real cracks. Brazil is no longer just a participant; we are protagonists in the ITTF’s hundred-year history.

The verdict from the coach: who is your GOAT?

After 100 years of evolution, who are the greatest of all time? Here is my pick:

• 🏆 Women: for me, it’s Deng Yaping. Her aggressiveness and mindset were from another planet. She didn’t just win; she dominated her opponents’ souls.
• 🌍 Men (Earth): Jan-Ove Waldner was the greatest of all time on Planet Earth. His creativity and his “feeling” were human, yet brilliant.
• 🌌 Men (Galaxy): Ma Long… well, Ma Long is the greatest of all time in the Galaxy. That guy is not human. He is an efficiency machine built by aliens.

The video mentioned Victor Barna, Angelica Rozeanu, Waldner, Deng Yaping, Ma Long, Hugo Calderano and so many others. Who gets the GOAT title for you? Is there any other name the video forgot?

Now I want to hear from you: who is your GOAT? Leave your comment below, let’s debate these 100 years of passion!