I think it depends on how you're framing it.
If you just take Ma Lin as he was, kidnap him in a time machine and just plant him into this era, I think he'd actually struggle some. I remember how the CNT coaching staff talked about the plastic ball when they were testing it, and about how players 'like' Ma Lin won't happen again. There's not enough craft in the sport with the plastic ball, the finer technical skills matter less. We would not have seen Harimoto be as good as early in my opinion on the old ball for example. There's a lower skill ceiling and it's more about athleticism than before, and a less about the fine skills.
But you could take Ma Lin and train him up in this era instead of when he came up and the special characteristics he had as an individual would surely lead to him being a top of the top player just the same. But he'd have learned differently and adapted differently than he did in the older days, and would have a different game for sure.
Inversely I think someone like Wang Liqin would absolutely thrive in this era whichever way you frame it. Underrated backhand stability, 1 out of 1 level of forehand quality and power, and top tier speed and athleticism. His forehand would have less weight on the plastic ball, but alternatively could be even more dominant because of how indiscriminately he could get it into play I reckon.