Ma Long interviews, matches and beyond

https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/s...e-interview-olympic-champion-ma-long-profile/
EXCLUSIVE: ONE-ON-ONE WITH OLYMPIC CHAMPION MA LONG
(Interviewed in early March during Marvellous 12 trial)


Humble table tennis star opens up to the Olympic Channel in a wide-ranging discussion.
Ma Long walks into the interview room carrying no pretensions or airs.
The 30-year-old is the reigning Olympic singles champion, and like many table tennis players in his native China, receives rock-star treatment from his fans, who travel all over the country and the world to cheer him on at tournaments.
In fact, as the Olympic Channel sits down with Ma in Shenzhen, the southeastern Chinese city bordering Hong Kong hosting this year’s Marvellous 12 Chinese qualifier for the World Championships, he says he has just returned from an autograph signing session.


Rock star status
But Ma portrays a humbleness in our interview at odds with his status as one of the sport’s greats. Asked about how he feels to receive such maniacal support, Ma gives a somewhat non-committal answer: “Regardless of whether it's me or the whole Chinese table tennis team, this gives everyone a lot of positive energy.”
This isn’t necessarily a phenomenon reserved for Chinese players, Ma points out. “There have always been many Chinese fans supporting foreign players, like [Timo] Boll or [Dimitrij] Ovtcharov, and Ai Fukuhara or Kasumi Ishikawa before as well,” he says.
‘The Dictator’, as he is sometimes known, is sitting out the Marvellous 12 tournament as he ramps up his rehabilitation from a knee injury. It’s an injury that has kept him out of international competition for six months and forced him off the top of the world rankings after 34 consecutive months of being number one.
If he’s feeling frustrated by the enforced absence, he’s not showing it. Instead, he opts to look forward, telling us he intends to compete at the World Championships – albeit without making outlandish predictions about how well he will do.


Adapting to changes
The spell away from competitive action means Ma will have to get used to a new order in the table tennis world.
Japanese teenager Tomokazu Harimoto, the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic silver medallist, became the youngest ITTF World Tour Grand Finals champion in Ma’s absence in December, while Germany’s Boll – the European champion – and Ovtcharov remain perennial threats to China’s domination of the sport.
“This is completely normal,” Ma reflects calmly. “In every sport, the amount of time when anyone can stay at the peak isn't very long. It will keep ebbing and flowing.
“Yes, China is meeting a period where others are improving, but this motivates us even more,” he insists.
“Times have changed, skills have changed, the ball has changed, players have changed. A lot of things have changed, and we all need to adapt to the environment.”
Asked to identify his weaknesses and strengths in his current game, he says: “I think I’m still lacking a little in my power. But my game intelligence is my strength.”


The man behind the star
Another one of Ma Long’s nicknames is ‘the Dragon’, which comes from the literal translation of his name (龙).
But who is the person behind ‘the Dragon’? These more personal questions sees Ma relax and open up as the Olympic Channel tries to find out about the star’s likes and dislikes.
Fellow Olympic champions Lionel Messi, Paul George, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal are among some of Ma’s sporting heroes, as is three-time NBA winner Stephen Curry. “I used to play soccer, and in the last few years I’ve played some basketball,” Ma says. “I used to play golf, too. But with the fear of injury, I’ve been playing less.”
Like any regular person, he says he listens to music (Chinese music, he emphasises) and watches films to relax – and also likes going out to eat with his friends. What’s his favourite food?
“Huo guo,” he says without missing a beat. Chinese hotpot.
And his favourite country to travel to? “I think there’s quite a few,” he says with a smile. “In Europe, I quite like Germany and Austria.”
Then, with a laugh, he adds: “I’ve been to South America twice and I find Brazil quite nice, because I became Olympic champion there!”


Potential history maker
Ma could make history at Tokyo 2020 with potential fourth and fifth Olympic gold medals – the current record is four jointly held by Wang Nan, Deng Yaping, and Zhang Yining. ‘Captain Long’ does admit to having already given the next Olympic Games some thought.
“I think it’s the same for every athlete,” he says. “As soon as one Olympic Games is over, preparations for the next Games begin on day two.
“Of course, during this process, there are many things that make it up including training and smaller competitions. If I do everything in front of me correctly, things will happen naturally in 2020.”
Four weeks after our interview, Ma made his return to international competition, winning his comeback tournament – the Qatar Open – in Doha before finishing second to world number one Fan Zhendong at the Asia Cup in Japan.
It was a reminder to everyone that he is still a force to be reckoned with. Even if his humility means he won’t shout about it from the rooftops.


Video of Marvellous 12 trial and Ma Long talking about his injury recovey
https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/v...one-of-the-toughest-tournaments-in-the-world/

If you recalled that Ma Long updated his Sina Weibo after 2019 Qatar Open, he said, "Finally it is not a post about my injury withdrawal. I am grateful for all the people who have helped and encouraged me during the past few months. I also want to thank all the fans for their blessings. I feel even more happier to come back to the court than winning the trophy. Keep going!" Actually when he shared the moment with his close friends, he added one more sentence, "If I were in a dream, please let the dream go on."
BTW, his username on social network is "Angel in demon".

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From almost being written off to completing hat-trick of World Champion singles titles, Ma Long realized that hard work but not talent is the key.


by Wang Yiwei from Budapest

https://new.qq.com/cmsn/20190429/20190429001553.html



When Ma Long lifted St. Bride Vase in Budapest, I still felt unreal. Ma Long was kept away from international tournaments for eight months due to knee injury. Two months ago, he was not yet able to play on the table. It was the darkest night of his career. He once thought that he would never return to the court.
Beating Sweden's Mattias Falck by 4-1, Ma Long became World Championships singles champion once again after 2015 and 2017. The 30-year-old matches legendary Zhuang Zedong, another Chinese player to win singles title on three consecutive World Championships.
What we can learn from Ma Long's story is that if you tell yourself in face of difficulty, "It is not over. I cannot leave like this.", your fate can be changed.


The worst time in his career: knee aspiration four times in two months


"One of the most terrifying dreams for me was a dream of me being on a basketball court, stadium's full, and I'm attacking the basket, and I can't get off the ground. I can't jump. Like, I'm stuck. Like, I'm cemented to the floor."
"I was conscious of the fact that I was dreaming. And so now, I'm trying to control my dream. You can jump through it, you can push through it. You can get to that basket. And no matter how hard I tried, my legs were too heavy. Can't jump."
This is the opening of Kobe Bryant's auto documentary "Muse", which includes what he experienced and learnt during 2012-2013 season with his ankle sprain. In the past four months, Ma Long watched it again and again.
"These several months are the most difficult and darkest moments of my career." Ma Long said. Since he started to play table tennis at 5, he had never been away from the table for such a long time.
Last August, Ma Long lost to England's Liam Pitchford in the first round of men's singles at Bulgaria Open. Compared to the upset, the knee injury was more surprising to Ma Long and all. Eight months until this March, Ma Long was absent from international tournaments because his knee was not healing.
During that time, CTTA president Liu Guoliang, head coach of men's team Qin Zhijian and the medical staff brought Ma Long to visit all the knee experts national wide. His knee was worn out due to years of intense training and competitions. Acupuncture and physical therapy were alternating, leaving bruises on his knee. Ma Long was not able to play on the table and just maintained the basic fitness training. However, if the amount of fitness training was increased, the knee was swollen with severe pain. The muscles on his left leg wasted away. In the worst point, his left thigh was almost as small as his left calf, much smaller than the right thigh. In the first two months of 2019, he went to hospital four times for knee aspiration to remove fluid.
The full recovery kept postponing. He entered Swedish Open, Austrian Open and Grand Finals and then withdrew. "Every time I gave hope to people when my name showed on the list. But then I withdrew. I really did not want to disappoint them." He almost broke down on the day to announce another withdrawal from Marvelous 12 trial. World Championships were no more than two months away but he was not able to do intense training on the table.
Over 30, injured, the killing shots no longer devastating due to the bigger ball..."Ma Long was defeated by injury." "He is too old." "Ma Long's time is over." These were the topics on the self media.
At the opening ceremony of Marvelous 12 trial, when his teammates lined up in the cheers of fans, Ma Long was standing on the back stage, looking up at the ceiling, listening to the names of players called by the host.
Ma Long asked himself, "Can I come back at all?"

He once beat the whole world and he would not give in.


By the end of last year, Liu Guoliang returned to Team China and became the president of CTTA. To prepare for Tokyo Olympic Games and to better support the players, Liu Guoliang led a support team for physical therapy and rehabilitation. Physical therapist Rafal joined the team by then. He and team physician Wang Duchun accompanied Ma Long all the time in addition to the coaches.
"Not playing for so long may make you realize how much you love the sport. When you get fully recovered, your desire for victory will be greater than anyone else." In those hard days, Rafal encouraged Ma Long.
Head coach of men's team Qin Zhijian had the same thoughts.
On the return flight from Rio to Beijing in 2016, when Ma Long completed his dream as a Grand Slam winner, Qin Zhijian asked Ma Long two questions, "Can we continue for Tokyo Olympic Games? Why do you want to play Tokyo Olympic Games?" He gave Ma Long half a year to think thoroughly for the answers.
On New Year Eve, the group of Qin Zhijian had dinner together. Ma Long answered, "I want to go to Tokyo Olympic Games because I am still competitive." Qin Zhijian laughed, "That's not enough for us to get to Tokyo". Qin Zhijian knew that the key was how to keep the hunger for victory for the next four years when Ma Long had won everything, if not considering age and injuries.
When Ma Long could not play on the table, he stayed in the gym to work out his arms with fitness coach Tommy. Sometimes, his teammates came to the gym after technical training and complaint to Ma Long, "Too tired after so much training." Ma Long smiled, "You should feel lucky that you can play. I want to play now even if I cannot win." Occasionally he played a few balls with Cui Qinglei who grows up with him. He could not move his left leg but he enjoyed himself a lot.
"I have challenged the rest of the world and I won all. Now my opponent is injury, I cannot easily give up." Ma Long told himself.
Ma Long played both men's singles and men's doubles in Budapest. As he proceeded, his pair met Liang Jingkun's pair in men's doubles semifinal and one day later he would meet Liang Jingkun in men's singles semifinal after whoever played men's doubles final. People thought Ma Long would save energy in men's doubles semifinal for a better chance in men's singles.
"Of course not. When Ma Long goes on to the court, he wants nothing but victory. This is a man who never thinks he gets enough training. How will he give up easily?" Rafal said.
Ma Long's partner is 19-year-old Wang Chuqin, a newcomer at World Championships. Before men's doubles semifinal and final, Ma Long put all the pressure on his own shoulder and told Wang Chuqin, "Relax. You just put the ball on the table. Count on me."
Give it all and fight till the end. Eight years later, Ma Long won World Championships men's doubles title again.


"Hard work and persistence are precious virtues. I will keep going without regrets."


This year there was a 6-day vacation for Chinese New Year for the players to visit family and take a break from the table. Ma Long did not take a single day off. Every morning, he went to Yizhuang Rehabilitation Center in the southern suburb of Beijing with Wang Chundu, then came back to the gym.
"Please let me train more. I am not afraid of pain." He told the physical therapist at Yizhuang Rehabilitation Center on his first visit last winner.
In the closed training for Budapest World Championships, Ma Long finally got back to the table to take two to three intense training sessions a day. Without systematic training for four months, he could not stand the load. Rafal tried to talk with him and joked with him during the physical therapy. "But I was just too tired to reply a word." Ma Long said. Every day after training, he had to ice his knee for half an hour.
People who have trained as a pro may know that it is not always a compliment when someone says "Look, he is so hardworking." "He is so genius." sounds better. It applies to other fields. The stories of genius are more appealing.
For a very long time, Ma Long refused the tag of hardworking. He thought every one in Team China is not lack of talent and hard work, which are the foundations of success. He never agreed that he succeeded because he worked harder.
"While I have realized that I am really hardworking during these days because it is so boring to work out everyday but I keep up. If I have a chance to share my career experience, I want to tell people, hard work and persistence are precious virtues. No matter what the result will be, keep going without regrets." Ma Long said.
If you tell yourself: it is not over and I cannot leave like this, your fate can be changed. Ma Long came back and won men's singles title at Qatar Open.
When he got to the closed training camp in Shenzhen from Doha, it was early morning. No time to adjust jet lag, he showed up in the gym with Tommy that afternoon. The next morning, he was on his way to Yokohama for Asian Cup.
When he won Qatar Open, Team China player Xu Chenhao shared a moment to his friends, "Brother Long is back, the same as before! He is the role model. Team China so formidable!"
CTTA president Liu Guoliang said, "Ma Long made a miracle. He is a great athlete." His greatness is not only about the achievements and records, is about in face of injuries and hardships, the efforts to struggle through and to be reborn.
No one in Team China gets qualified for Olympic Games after 30. Ma Long has won two World Championships men's singles title in Tokyo Olympic cycle. He has the best chance for Tokyo among Team China.
"Table tennis is something that cannot be replaced and taken away from my life. I am working on the qualification for Olympic Games. But if I cannot go, I will still continue to play table tennis, because I love table tennis so much." Fight for passion. Ma Long said Tokyo is not the full stop.

The video complemented with the above article


Press conference after men's singles final
Ma Long: I think every athlete has pains and struggles. Only the winner has the opportunity to talk about the stories behind the success. I believe every athlete will go through this process. Yesterday I burst into tears when I saw Liu Shiwen winning the title. I understand what difficulties she has been through. I hope people can pay more attention and care to the athletes.


Tecent Sports interview during Marvelous 12 trial
Ma Long: I know I worked hard previously but I want people to see my talent other than hard work. But in recent two years, I have realized how important hard work means to me. In addition to training as hard as other players on the court, I remain passionate for table tennis and I make great efforts off the court for table tennis. After a long break, when I start to play, I find table tennis extremely interesting. I really want to play for more time. I find true love in table tennis. I once was negative because the rehabilitation did not go well. Now things are on the right track and I am quite positive and eager to play. I've thought about even if I cannot go to Olympic Games, I will still continue to play table tennis. I will still stay in this sport. I just love table tennis too much! No matter I can go to Olympic Games or not, I will keep playing.

Post-match interview with CCTV
Q: Why did you do that celebration gesture?
A: Now I actually cannot recall how I celebrated, nothing special.
Q: Use one word to express your feeling.
A: Calm. Yesterday I thought about what would happen if I won. I thought I would cry because I burst into tears when I saw Liu Shiwen got the singles title. I was quite touched by her and I wanted to be touched by myself today. But I was just not able to cry today.
Q: How did you manage to win 4 points straight at 7:9 down in the fourth set?
A: I tried to calm down and be determined. My opponent might make mistakes due to pressure and luckily he did.
Q: What do you want to do now?
A: Sleep. I barely fell asleep these three days. Lying in bed, I still kept thinking of match plans.
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Press conference
"Within these two years, Mattias has greatly improved. Last year Sweden made to the semifinal of World Team Championships and this year he made to the singles final. He has grown a lot on techniques and tactics, as well as his mentality. He has reached a very high level and he is a major rival of Team China."
"Actually I do not feel most stressful at this World Championships. Last edition, I was more stressed. My current world ranking is lowest among all the World Championships I've attended. The first time I attended, I was WR #8. So I made myself a nickname Long 5 as #5 in Team China. I did not expect myself to win the title."
"I have never thought about my records. I want to give my best in all tournaments especially major ones. This time, I even thought that it might be my last World Championships individual events. I cherish this opportunity. I attacked on the court whenever there was a chance. I don't want to leave with regrets."
"I still feel great pressure after I won this title. I can feel it everyday. Because I am in Team China and the pressure and the duty are put on me. Our predecessors made a solid foundation for us and I want to keep the glory. I cannot guarantee every victory because it is sport, but I can guarantee to try my best for every match."
(What did Coach Qin Zhijian tell you during the set break in the final? He seemed very anxious.)
"To be honest, I did not look at him and I did not pay attention to what he said."
(No one in Team China plays Falck's style. How did you prepare then? Did President Liu Guoliang practice with you since he played short pips?)
"Indeed, Mattias's style is rare among the world. Before the match, President Liu practiced with me while Persson practiced with Mattias. It is an interesting battle between these two former world champions."
(As a big fan of Marvel, which character of Marvel do you want to be?)
"I haven't thought about it and I will let you know later. Because it is impossible for me to become a hero of Marvel, I don't bother to think about it."
(Before the tournament, you posted on Sina Weibo, "12 years complete a cycle." Since your debut in 2007 Zagreb World Championships, you started from a newcomer, went through frustrations, now get a replica trophy*. No one has got a replica trophy for more than 50 years, was it a pressure for you before the tournament? How do you feel now?)
*A player can receive a replica trophy to keep once winning three consecutive times or four times in total in an individual event at World Championships.
"After posting that Sina Weibo, I was worried that it might be a curse and I would lose in R16 as I did 12 years ago. This time, even after I reached the semifinal, I did not think about the trophy. For a whole week, I have not checked online news. I don't want to be disturbed. I put all my focus on the matches. I have never thought about the replica trophy until now."
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Interview with Zhibo TV after press conference
Q: You said you have not checked news for a week. People thought only you would secure the title against a foreign player. Do you think this kind of news will give you pressure?
A: Naturally the pressure is high to play the final against a foreign player, no matter what people think. If I had read the news, I might be more pressured.
Q: Do you feel differently when playing finals in 2015, 2017 and 2019?
A: The previous two finals were against teammates. But to be frank, I wanted to win every final. This time the pressure came from the identity of the opponent (a foreign player), previously from my opponents themselves.
Q: We feel that you are always calm and determined. How do you reduce pressure?
A: Honestly I am a person who is easy to get nervous. But when I was fully focused on the table, running and jumping, the pressure was neglected.
Q: In previous interviews, you often say, "The result is normal." This time, you often say, "Just play one match after another." Is it a change on your mindset?
A: I did not expect a lot due to my low ranking and my long absence from competition. I put my position to Long 5.
Q: For Chinese players, there is no ending. In contrast, Falck could not wait to celebrate his victory after the semifinal yesterday. Why the difference?
A: Indeed, foreign players celebrate every victories but Chinese players stay focus on the matches until winning the champion. It is cultural difference. But I think Chinese players tend to celebrate more and more.
Q: Any special celebration for three consecutive titles?
A: I haven't thought about it. After winning the tile, I felt it is normal. I am still the person who I am. I still need to do my job. The spotlights and honors are just add-ons.

It happens a lot that Ma Long didn't listen to Qin Zhijian

Here are CCTV Sports Quick Questions interviewed in Budapest
What's your favorite Hungarian food?
ZYL: desert
CM: beef stew
SYS: desert
LGY: I find European food all alike

Who's your idol in table tennis?
ZYL： ZYN
LGY: ML
SYS: Brother Long (ML)
FZD: It is a secret (*should be Wang Hao, he mentioned before)
Anna Hursey: LSW
CM: ZYN and LXX
Kasumi Ishikawa: ZYN

Who's your idol?
WCQ: Brother Long
XX: None now. (How about before? Anyone in table tennis) None in table tennis, many in other sports.
ML: Too many to mention. Many great athletes in many sports.

Use one word to compliment your personal coach
CM: humorous
ZYL: handsome
SYS: weirdo
LGY: down-to-earth
FZD: leaner

Who are you more afraid of, Liu Guoliang or Qin Zhijian?
FZD: Both
LGY: I really don't know
WCQ: Both
XX: The name you mentioned first
ML: Coach Liu

Who is the most handsome in China men's team?
ML: Tricky question, hard to answer. (Some netizens say you) Whoever they say.
XX: I don't know. (You?) Not me.
WCQ: All are handsome.

Do you have a boyfriend now? What's your criteria for boyfriend?
Kasumi Ishikawa: Yes, table tennis. Gentle. Care me and others.
CM: No. I don't know.
ZYL: fair skinned

How do you describe ML?
WCQ: Superman
XX: In which aspect? (playing style) Cautious and delicate, which I am lacking.

How do you describe XX?
ML: Innocent and optimistic.

Will you go to show business?
XX: No. (Why?) It is too complicated in that business. I am too naive.
Kasumi Ishikawa: No

What is Ma Long's style? Why unique? He is said to be the most complete player but what is the major strength?


When Liu Guoliang commentated 2018 Team World Cup, he said, Ma Long is a shakehander with a penholder core - full of variations. No one plays like this nowadays. His style is a perfect mix of Jan-Ove Waldner and Kong Linghui.

Ma Long said in the interview with Olympic Channel earlier this year, "My game intelligence is my strength."


When Liu Guoliang commentated 2018 WTTTC, he said, "Ma Long can read his opponent's mind and he makes change accordingly. He is the master of game reading. He put his opponents under control just like tie Chinese mitten crabs with rope." "Ma Long and Ma Lin are of similar style. We used to joke that after a match against Ma Lin, you would throw up in a toilet because his play made you dizzy and sick." After 2019 WTTC, Liu Guoliang added, "Still only Ma Long owns the rope to tie Chinese mitten crabs (control opponents) in this world. Although his techniques are not overwhelmingly advantageous now, he becomes stronger and stronger. I hope the whole men's team can learn his ability to handle pressure and read games."

Liebherr Live with Ma Long on Apr 28 with more accurate translation.


Host: What does it mean to win this for the third time? What is your #1 emotion right now? What are you feeling #1 emotion?
Interpreter: What does it mean to you to win three consecutive times? What is your strongest feeling right now?
Ma Long: The strongest feeling... I hope to become as a legend as Jan-Ove Waldner.

Host: What does it mean to you after the injuries? Did you think you will come back to win the World Championships when you were injured?
Interpreter: You were previously injured. What does it mean to you winning this title? Did you think you can come back and win the champion?
Ma Long: I didn't think about it before the tournament. I didn't expect that I won the champion. But I think all my previous efforts paid off when I won. More importantly, every athlete has struggles and pains. Only after the victory I have this chance to tell the story. I wish all athletes can hold on to their dreams.

Host: What is the motivation (after the injuries), family? More titles? What brought you back so strong?
Interpreter: What is your motivation, family or?
Ma Long: I think there are a lot of motivations. My team has the spirit to make progress together, which supports me moving forward. My passion for table tennis. And my family as well.

Host: What is the key strategy to play Sweden's Mattias Falck in the final?
Interpreter: Mattias plays pips which is quite special. What is the key techniques and tactics for you to win the match?
Ma Long: Indeed Mattias has improved a lot in recent two years. Although he is European, I think his style is like Chinese, delicate, with very few unforced errors. But for me to play the match, I just need to be myself. Mattias must have been very nervous when he entered the final.
Host: What do you think at that moment 8:9 in the fourth game?

Interpreter: 8:9 in the fourth game was a crucial moment, what did you think about?
Ma Long: I had a difficult time in the third and fourth game. More importantly I stuck to my plan. My opponent may hesitate when he sees chance or make unforced errors when he loses focus. Luckily he made unforced errors and allowed me to turn it around.

Host: What is in your mind at the time in the interview? You seemed to stop for a moment.
Interpreter: In the post-match interview, you stopped for a while, he wondered with all fans cheering for you, what did you think about?
Ma Long: (Host: Maybe thinking about family?) No. I was searching for proper words to answer the question. But my mind was still in the match. Blank for words.

Host: What do you think about your country winning all 5 titles?
Interpreter: This week, Team China won all 5 titles although there were upsets like Xu Xin and Fan Zhendong's early exits. After all, Team China won all and what do you think? What does it mean to Team China?
Ma Long: Although Team China won all 5 titles, it was not easy during the course. Especially for men's singles, it has been years since last final between Chinese and a non-Chinese. This is also my first time (World Championships final against a foreigner). It is teamwork. The victory belongs to my team, including Xu Xin, Fan Zhendong, me, Liang Jingkun, Lin Gaoyuan. I believe even I lost to Liang Jingkun or Lin Gaoyuan earlier, they can win this final as well.

Host: I want to ask your opinions about the match between Simon Gauzy and Xu Xin. How did Gauzy play this match?
Interpreter: How do you think about the match between Simon Gauzy and Xu Xin as the big upset? What do you think of Simon's performance?
Ma Long: Simon is a strong European player and a major rival of Team China. I think this World Championships are full of upsets. None of the semifinalists are among top 8 seeds. I believe this is unprecedented in history.

Host: When Xu Xin and Fan Zhendong lost, does it change your thinking? Or were you always focused and did not find any problems?
Interpreter: When Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin lost, were you affected? Did Team China still believe in themselves? Or were you still focused on your matches?
Ma Long: For me, I focused on my own matches. I knew they lost. But I did not check news online from the beginning of the tournament. I don't want my preparations disturbed by the news.

Host: What do you think of An Jaehyun's performance in the whole week?
Interpreter: WR#157 An Jaehyun reached semifinal beating Jang Woojin. What do think about them?
Ma Long: Korean players are known for their fighting spirits in the match. This is the first time I see An Jaehyun play. I haven't seen him before. I think reaching semifinal suggests he has characteristics. As I said, among quarterfinalists, only two are from top 8 seeds. More upsets can happen at World Championships than other tournaments.

Host: Where does this one (victory) sit within the three (2015, 2017, 2019)? Is it the best?
Interpreter: 2015 victory against Fang Bo, 2017 victory against Fan Zhendong, how do you think your third victory compared to the previous ones?
Ma Long: I think all three are equally important to me. But this time, it is a new experience against a European player on European soil. This victory boosted my confidence even more. (Host: noisy Swede crowds) I can imagine the excitement in the stadium previously when Jan-Ove Waldner and Persson were at their prime supported by whole Europe.

Host: Fans question. Do you think you are the best of all time? You have won everything. Do you think yourself now the best player ever?
Interpreter: Do you think you are the best table tennis player since you won three World Champion titles? (*Note it is different from asking if you are the best player ever.)
Ma Long: During the match or during the preparations, I don't think I am the best player because table tennis is a sport battling between the two. One can restrict the other or vice versa. Anything can happen in the match. But at this moment, I think I am the best.

Host: Do you plan to give a try next year in Tokyo Olympic Games? Is it part of your planning at the moment?
Interpreter: Do you plan to attend Olympic Games next year?
Ma Long: Of course I want to be qualified to attend Olympic Games. This is what I will work on next.

Host: Is there a specific way you train? Has your training changed because of your injuries from when you were younger?
Interpreter: Is there any change on your training compared to your younger times due to injuries?
Ma Long: Yes, there are changes in my training. Every athlete at this stage of career can find a new training strategy as one in 30s can not train as much as one did in 20s. Now I care more about the quality of the training. 40 min to 1 hour per training session may be enough with better concentration. Also I pay more attention to physical training and rehabilitation.

Host: How is your English now? Have you got a word for your English fans?
Interpreter: How is your English? What do you want to say to fans in English? One word?
Ma Long: How good is my English? A word to describe fans? (*he got confused by the question) Thank you. all of you, to support me! (Host: next time we do the full thing in English) He(she) lost the job.

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This video went viral on Sina Weibo as Ma Long pointed out the mistranslated question. Hopefully this will not happen in the future as we may miss many great chances to hear the real opinions from the athletes.

After R16 between Ma Long and Hugo Calderano,
Journalist: Who do you think is the greatest player of all time?
Interpreter: Is he (Hugo Calderano) a good opponent?
Ma Long: He (Hugo Calderano) is. He beat Fan Zhendong in 2018 Grand Finals, now ranked world 7. He is now a major opponent of Team China.
Interpreter: Main opponent of Chinese team.
Journalist: What do you think about Jan-ove Waldner, the Swedish player?
Interpreter: What do you think about your doubles partner?
Ma Long: He asked about Jan-ove Waldner...
Interpreter: Repeat your question.
Ma Long: I think he is a legend.
Interpreter: He is a very famous and best player.

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On May 5, Ma Long spoke at a meeting of General Administration of Sports, "Table tennis is a sport played by individual but individual achievements are all based on teamwork on preparations and support from the country."
On May 8, Team China went to Nanliang, Gansu Province to visit patriotic memorial and museums.

On May 9, Team China visited patriotic landmark Pagoda Hill in Yan'an, Shanxi Province, and met senior veterans as well as students from Yan'an University.Ma Long updated his Sina Weibo, "Two days passed so quickly. I feel the power of will from the seniors and predecessors when visiting patriotic landmarks. Each generations have their own Long March ahead. I hope the spirits to overcome any sufferings and hardships can be brought into our training and competitions. Keep fighting for our nation.”


Ma Long and Fan Zhendong exhibition rallies in Yan'an University
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Student: I am very excited to meet Ma Long. Ma Long, you look so handsome. We know that Ma Long won three World Championships singles champion in a row and we learnt that he has suffered from the worst injuries in his career which kept him away from international tournaments for 8 months. I feel it incredible to overcome such a difficult and dark period. Can you share with us your experiences and thoughts on going through this dark period?
Ma Long: I look sharp because I am in my team jersey. Regarding the dark period, it is not dark any more since I went through it. It is a treasure to me. It is rare for a table tennis player to be away from training and competitions for such a long time. I have learnt to adjust my mindset during this time. At the beginning, I tried all rehabilitation plans but none of them worked. Every day I told myself to keep up and be patient. Sometimes rehabilitation plan showed effect, I told myself not to rush. When the plan did not work, I told myself to listen to the physical therapist because no better plan was available. I learnt to adjust myself from it.
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Zhang Lei interview with The Beijing News


This year in Budapest, Ma Long won men's singles World Champion for the third consecutive time. Team Beijing head coach Zhang Lei witnessed that he made St. Bride Vase to his own collection. In the interview with The Beijing News, Zhang Lei talked about Ma Long's struggles against injuries and he wanted to support Ma Long to Tokyo Olympic Games.


Honored to be with him
Midnight on Apr 29, Zhang Lei posted his photo with Ma Long on social network and said, "I have such a great student. It is a gift. I am so lucky and so honored." It is a tradition that provincial teams send staff to support when National Team prepare and attend major tournaments. It was Zhang Lei who first sent Ma Long to National Team and now he witnessed the glorious moment.

Zhang Lei was in Budapest during the whole tournament. He thought this men's singles title of Ma Long has the highest gold content. "First he has the high expectation to win a replica vase. Second, as known to all, Ma Long has many injuries recently. This time he did not perform very well and had hard times during the tournament. Although he won at last, obviously it was not as smooth as that at his prime time." Zhang Lei was so happy for Ma Long that he had several drinks to celebrate, despite of his diabetes which caused a sudden weight loss.
In Zhang Lei's eyes, Ma Long is always passionate about table tennis. "We set the goal to win the third singles title one year ago. Our provincial team supports his pursuit at any cost."


Back to the court with multiple injuries
When Ma Long announced withdrawal from Marvelous 12 trial in Shenzhen due to injuries, many thought that was just an excuse. Zhang Lei denied and said Ma Long had knee injury since last year and struggled a lot to achieve his goal.
"His knee injury is the most severe among all, which took 8 months to recover. When he was in training camp in Austria before World Championships, I heard that his wrist injury broke out." Last year during China Super League, Ma Long was seen to talk about his neck issue with Liu Guoliang, Qin Zhijian and Zhang Lei. "His waist also has issue*. All injuries broke out in recent half year. We requested a rehabilitation team in coordination with National Team."
(*Ma Long wore waist support under jersey during World Championships.)
Before World Championships, Ma Long attended Qatar Open and Asian Cup. Zhang Lei was concerned about his health but was persuaded by Ma Long, "He insisted on attending these two tournaments. He wanted to see whether the rehabilitation team was really effective if the injuries worsened. He also need competitions to find his form."
If his condition allowed, Ma Long would not withdraw Marvelous 12 trial. After intense discussions, the decision was made to prioritize on rehabilitation and return to the court step by step afterwards. "During closed training in Shenzhen, I told him that he had to increase training amount. Otherwise he was not able to play at World Championships. Increased running caused blisters on his feet. He continued training after simple treatment." Unwillingly, Zhang Lei encouraged Ma Long to ensure the quality of training.


Support his attempt to defend title in Tokyo
Ma Long's next goal is Tokyo Olympic Games and Zhang Lei is ready to work with him. "In the following year, we will put all of our mind and focus on Tokyo Olympic Games. Ma Long has to maintain good form. Most importantly he has to get as full recovery as possible. He also has to play many tournaments for ranking points." Zhang Lei was not worried about Ma Long's qualification for Olympic Games based on his achievements and position in the team. "I am only worried about his injuries. If they cannot be controlled, it will not work out no matter how strong his techniques, capacities and mentality are."
Players from Team Beijing won all 4 Olympic gold medals at Rio Olympic Games. However, the task for Tokyo Olympic Games is very tough. "No matter what, we will cope with National Team and provide good support. We hope we can also get support from Beijing city to keep Beijing's table tennis strong."


A pleasant surprise of men's doubles title
Talking about men's doubles pairing of Ma Long and Wang Chuqin, Zhang Lei said it was until closed training in March that National Team decided this pair for World Championships.
"Big head (Wang Chuqin's nickname) told me that he was pressed to pair with Captain Long. I said, you naturally feel pressured to attend World Championships. It is the best practice opportunity for you to pair with a Grand Slam winner."
Zhang Lei said that National Team considered men's doubles and women's doubles less important. "Our men's doubles pairs were least competitive among all five events. But none of the players were willing to accept defeat. I did not expect that they won." It is a pleasant surprise that two players from Team Beijing won men's doubles at World Championships. "I watched they practiced doubles during closed training. I was worried about Ma Long's injuries." Zhang Lei thought Wang Chuqin successfully took over some of the burden from Ma Long, "When Ma Long playing doubles, he mainly makes controls. Young Wang Chuqin plays aggressive. It is a good complement."

Table Tennis World Magazine May 2019 cover story
Ma Long - Every opponent is a new one, by Chen Sijing


He was the last one to leave the gym almost every day
During closed training in Shenzhen, Ma Long seemed to lose a lot of weight. When asked, he said, "Not really. I've kept the same body weight for more than 10 years. I want to gain weight because I need more strength to play the new ball. I've eaten a lot during closed training, but my body weight did not grow." Maybe he spent too much time on power building in the gym. He was the last one to leave the gym almost every day. That's why many people said he looked slimmer. During preparations for Halmstad Wold Team Championships last year, Ma Long changed his training routine, to reduce the amount of technical training and increase the amount of physical training, which was further increased this year. "I am always a little lack of explosive power and physical strength. So I put more emphasis on power building. I also need more rehabilitation now. That's why I stay longer in the gym."
Ma Long always needs preparations. The better he prepares, the more confidence he has. But since withdrawal from Swedish Open last Nov, Ma Long spent all his time on rehabilitation. "This injury is a complication of several conditions. It was not very severe but very complicated. It took quite a while before the causes were figured out." First anxious, then broken-down, finally reality accepted. This is what Ma Long said to describe his feelings. But immediately he denied with a smile, "I did not break down." This all happened in the gym of National Training Center in Beijing, where Ma Long and Qin Zhijian asked team physicians questions and expressed opinions looking at the X-ray films, where he took rehabilitation and recovery training to build up muscles on leg by all means. Sometimes team physician and physical coach had to encourage Ma Long. Struggled and suffered, Ma Long kept staying in the gym, no matter in Beijing or in Shenzhen.
Not playing a match for quite long, Ma Long missed the table. His last international play was a first round loss to Liam Pitchford by 3-4 at Bulgarian Open last Aug. Before that, a quarterfinal loss to Tomokazu Harimoto by 2-4 last Jun. "When I think about the upcoming tournaments, I feel nervous. I am afraid of losing." Ma Long said before Qatar Open, "I am not sure of my situation. I haven't played any international tournaments for months. Even for internal match during closed training, when it was my turn, I was a little afraid. I thought, 'I have internal match this afternoon. I have to play well.' " Ma Long said he heavily relied on every match he played, to test what level he belonged to, or how much he recovered.


He likes to challenge himself
When asked why he was afraid of losing, Ma Long said it was not because he had not played for a long time. "Mainly because I don't know to which level I can play in the match." He explained, "I like to challenge myself now and then. I kept winning in the past few years, therefore I was confident and my opponents were afraid of me. I haven't played for a while and before my injuries I did not perform well in the last two tournaments. When I come back, I need to adjust my mindset. I cannot ask myself to win every tournament as I used to."
It is a new challenge for Ma Long during closed training to accept the reality that he cannot perform as good as before. Before Qatar Open, Ma Long said, "I am still adjusting." Liu Guoliang told Ma Long, "Don't rush. Don't expect that you can recover to a very high level immediately. Maybe 70% in the first tournament and 80% in the second. Gradually adjust before World Championships. Maybe you lose right away but don't make your confidence and techniques affected by losing." Ma Long knew he had to prepare for such scenarios. "I used to win by 4-0 or 4-1. Now the same opponent may become more difficult to play with. I have to prepare for the difficulties. If I cannot adjust my mindset, when the match is not as I expected, I may not find solutions within 30-40 minutes and may lose quickly because of impatience." Young players from other associations improve quickly, which also makes Ma Long worried. "I have to accept my current level. I have not fully recovered and foreign players have improved a lot. It will be normal if the scores are tight. I have to accept when I trail behind."
Although not competing, Ma Long was busy those days. "Occupied." he said, "During closed training, I can feel I am not ready, physically and technically. I feel I don't have time left. In previous closed training, I sometimes felt I had not trained to perfection, or I felt very tired, but overall fine. This time, nothing was fine. Every day it was a full schedule. I was occupied the whole day but I felt I had done nothing when the day was over." Ma Long felt like this before Qatar Open.


Still competitive, not falling behind
How did Ma Long spend the month during closed training? "Similar as before but longer time is spent on treatment and rehabilitation. Previously the treatment was about 40 minutes; sometimes I skipped treatment and just cooled down and relaxed. But now I need very long time on rehabilitation every day. I also feel more tired during training than before. Sometimes I wonder why I suddenly feel so tired without training much. Therefore, I try to be more concentrated during technical training in a short period of time and spend the rest on physical training and rehabilitation."
How did he feel? "It depends." There were battles in his mind. "Many techniques have not been trained to my expectation. Not good enough. But I cannot keep on training because my body hurts here and there. Sometimes I think I should wait till I am fully recovered before playing any match. But on second thought, I think it is impossible for athletes to stay injury free. Every day I am battling with myself and every day I am changing my mind. If my body feels good, my mind will be on techniques and tactics. If my body feels bad, my mind will be on rehabilitation."
These battles happened during closed training when Ma Long was allowed to do systematic technical training. It can be imagined that there were more battles before. I cannot help asking Captain Long why, when he has achieved all, why does he have to battle with himself? "I think sometimes athletes get used to working hard." Ma Long answered, "I would rather work out than idling or training not seriously. Especially in recent two years, I know that I do not train as much as I used to. But I am more focused and concentrated, I take training seriously even it is only 1 hour. Why? Just passion. I want to extend my athletic career because I enjoy the feeling on the court. No matter it is training or competition, the excitements that playing table tennis and winning bring me are incomparable. I never feel the same when I do something else."
Ma Long is fighting every day and cherishing and enjoying training and competition. He feels time flies recently, "I cannot believe it is already 2019." Soon Ma Long beat Timo Boll, Jun Mizutani, Xu Xin and Lin Gaoyuan to win men's singles at Qatar Open; then beat Lin Yun-ju, Tomokazu Harimoto, Koki Niwa and got runner-up at Asian Cup. In a blink, Ma Long ran from our interview at closed training to the award ceremony of Asian Cup, after which he left Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium to hotel carrying his duffel bag.
Ma Long finished these two tournaments which were regarded as "practice exams" before World Championships, and he thought "The recovery is better than I expected." After Asian Cup, Ma Long said, "Before the tournament, my goal is to finish each match and cherish every victory. After the tournament, I have an estimate of my form. I am very satisfied to get one winner and one runner-up. Absent from systematic training and competition for so long, the results gave me more confidence. I hope to get an even better form at World Championships." In the group stage of Asian Cup, Ma Long was drawn to the group with Tomokazu Harimoto, Lin Yun-ju and Indian top player Achanta, "group of death". To Ma Long's wishes, he could play with the promising youngsters from other associations. "Taken together with Qatar Open, I have played with WR top 5 (WR top 5 in April: Fan Zhendong, Xu Xin, Lin Gaoyuan, Tomokazu Harimoto, Timo Boll). After the matches, I find myself still competitive, not falling behind." He laughed.
When Ma Long comes back to the court, he has a fresh feeling, "Every opponent is a new one. I make preparations like before but when I play, I can tell I really love playing. I enjoy every minute on the court no matter I win or lose." Ma Long said he encouraged himself to enjoy every match, "I feel more relaxed and I value the matches more."
Several hours after he returned to Beijing from Asian Cup, Ma Long packed up to leave for Europe. It was such a rush that he had to turn on AC to dry clothes after laundry (*usually clothes are air-dried in China) in order to finish packing. Before he got on the shuttle bus to the airport, he was asked for the goal of World Championships. His answer was as low-key as when he was asked during closed training before Qatar Open and Asian Cup, "Cherish every victory."
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Tecent Sports Documentary on 2019 Marvelous 12 Trial - Future of Table Tennis
In this documentary, CTTA president Liu Guoliang discussed about the future of table tennis.
Ma Long withdrew the trial due to knee injury while met with his fans in Shenzhen.

Ma Long was interviewed with CCTV Feng Yun Summit after World Championships. In this preview, he talked about the knee injury, Liu Guoliang as a great speaker, and his ways to get a positive mindset.

Host: Did you feel the pain (on your knee) in the final?
ML: No, I did not feel the pain when I was playing. However, I felt the pain after the match, or sometimes when I went to bed at night. Maybe I was so concentrated when I played. It was much better compared to the stage months before. Before, I could not bear it even you asked me to keep on.
Host: Did the pain really stop you? Stop you from training and many tournaments? Was it a must to stop and fix your body?
ML: Well, I felt the pain just prevented me from doing things previously. Many times I tried to keep on but it was too difficult. Now the pain is under control. Still some discomfort. I can bear. The pain was negligible in the match. Not feeling it. But in training, there were constant irritations. Less concentrated in training than in the match, I then felt it.
Host: You were quite sure that the injury was a small disturbance. It was not threatening and could be cured in months with good care. Or you were not quite sure by then.
ML: At the beginning, I thought the injury easy to deal with. The pain occurred before, and was settled with simple treatment and a break for 8-10 days. But after several doctor visits, 10-15 days passed, the situation did not get any better. I took treatments like cortisone injection and the situation did not get any better either. I started to be anxious. When it was Chinese New Year (early Feb), I did not take any day off from treatments and rehabilitation. The situation did not get any better, still. Then I was more than anxious. A little broken.
Host: Broken? ML: Yes.
Host: Did you ever tell others about that broken feeling or you keep it to yourself?
ML: I did not tell anyone except for Coach Qin (Zhijian). Coach Qin was there with me every day even on Chinese New Year holidays. Every day. I had planned to go back to my hometown during the holidays. But then I thought the training facilities are in Beijing. I wanted to save every day to catch up what I missed previously. But I felt the situation (after treatment during Chinese New Year) was not better.


Host: He (Liu Guoliang) brought his racket with him, which he rarely does. ML: Yes.
Host: It is like his racket was fated for the final preparations. In the video clip, although he made many errors, he kept smiling and practicing with you. Is it part of the fortune?
ML: We practiced for half an hour that day. He was still sharp on serve, serve receive, and first three strokes. His style is rare nowadays and made me more concentrated. He also played very fast. You will get full concentration when practicing with him. It helped me be motivated before the match. Also my opponent in the final plays short pips. There is no other short pips player around.
Host: How did he encourage you or inspire you?
ML: I think he is such a great speaker. He can help you reduce stress or cheer you up. In this tournament or other tournaments before, no matter you felt good or bad, you felt good after talking with him. He is able to talk you into changing your mindset and make you feel good. Anyways, he can help you. I believe in old days, he can be a great political commissar.


After winning the semifinal, I had no experience to play with an European on the final day. There were pressure and difficulties. There was also an opportunity to win the third title. Many thoughts came to my mind. I couldn't help thinking: What will happen if I win? What will happen if I lose? What will I feel if I win? What will I feel if I lose? Many thoughts.
Host: It sounds like a newcomer, thinking of win and loss. ML: Yeah.
Host: Anything special of you?
ML: There is a battle inside me between being negative and being positive. How can you get rid of negativity? Because you will think about the consequences if you lose a final (against an European) in Europe and never get the third title. Many negative thoughts. On the other hand, there are positive thoughts. No matter how strong he (the opponent) is, he is not stronger than a player from Team China. Try to be positive. I had thought about everything to boost positivity.
For example, my hotel room number was 132. Then I thought 132 stood for 1 Olympic Games, 3 World Championships and 2 World Cup (men's singles titles). Whatever positive things, hints. In men's doubles final, we wore blue shirts and our opponents wore red. We lost the toss to choose side. But then I thought when Xu Xin pair won mixed doubles, they wore blue, too. So think of everything to get a positive mindset. Host: Achieve a positive mindset.

Ma Long and Wang Chuqin before men's doubles final at 2019 WTTC
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Autograph time at mixed zone
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According to CSM Sports & Media Research, men’s singles final at WTTC 2019 between Ma Long and Mattias Falck is the most watched TV sports programme of the year so far in China, reaching 41 million TV audiences, with close to 25 million simultaneous viewers on CCTV-5 at its peak.