Ma Long: All I can say is that I'm one of the best of this era

[zeio]

ML: All I can say is that I'm one of the best of this era. In fact, everyone is in a different era, perhaps in the earlier ones, because table tennis didn't become an Olympic sport until 1988, it was Waldner that we were watching when we started playing, so I think Waldner was perhaps one of the best of that era. And as we grew up, president Liu and Kong Linghui were the best of their era. And later on, Ma Lin, Wang Liqin, Wang Hao, and then I and Jike, Xu Xin. I think that everyone is in a different era. We are all...being able to become a...the best in this era and getting the public approval, then we are very grateful. In fact, if we were in those eras, we wouldn't necessarily have become the best. I believe there may still be others in the future who will become the leaders of those eras.

https://weibo.com/1706463014/OgygYAFWL

马龙超话 【对话马龙】：“在德班的时候没敢想巴黎 备战奥运就要承担责任与压力 当时就想正常打吧 看以这样的心态能坚持到什么时候。”云淡风轻地对话，马龙似乎讲完了这三年的心路历程，或许只有他自己知道，三年，1000多天，每一天都经历了什么。
“每个时代都有山顶上的人 你可能只是处在这个时代最好的运动员之一 可以自己为自己骄傲 但是赛场外 我们还是一个普通人；如果不是喜欢乒乓球 可能我对他们来说没有特别大的意义。” 天天体育的微博视频

马龙看待国际乒联GOAT的评价 (ML on ITTF declaring him the GOAT)
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/9034442313

 

[zeio]

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/is-ma-long-the-goat.20982/post-273569

As I've posted 2 times already. ML's the most decorated. That's the most generous you'll have it from me. But GOAT? Greatest of his time at best.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/is-ma-long-the-goat.20982/post-273569

+1 on greatest of his time.
he wasn't great enough to beat those before him.
If he had come on as a 20 year old and beating WH, ML, WLQ, and later on dominating ZJK, then that would be unbeatable total greatness.

so, history has shown it was not meant to be and post ZJK era, Ma Long has his reign, until 2024.

will WCQ or FZD be another XX with no olympic gold
seems like more and more doubts now.
FZD is lucky to not end up 3rd seed for olympics and be in WCQ's half