The regular season of the 2026 Chinese Table Tennis Super League produced exactly what fans have come to expect from China’s premier domestic competition: elite line-ups, unexpected upsets and a new generation of players challenging the established stars.
The 25th edition of the Chinese Super League was played in two regular-season stages, in Dalian and Xiongan, with ten teams fighting for four places in the December finals in Guangzhou. The reigning champions Shandong Weiqiao, Beijing Yidianxindong, Shanghai Zhongxing and Huangshi TTC ultimately secured their places in the final stage.
But while the usual names dominated the conversation, the biggest statistical story of the regular season came from an unexpected source. Jiangsu Zhongchao’s 19-year-old Li Tianyang finished at the top of the individual rankings with a 9–2 record and a +7 win/loss difference — the best differential of any player in the league.
Wang Chuqin’s unusually difficult regular season
For Wang Chuqin, the regular season was considerably less comfortable than expected.
The world No. 1 entered the competition as the obvious centerpiece of Shandong Weiqiao, the defending champions. Yet Wang suffered two singles defeats during the regular season, losing to Xu Haidong and Zhang Yudong. He eventually finished with a 6–2 record, a respectable 75% win rate, but one that placed him only seventh in the individual statistics.
The defeat to Zhang Yudong was particularly memorable. Zhang, who had returned to competitive table tennis after a four-year retirement, defeated Wang 2–1 in the first stage in Dalian. The result was followed by an unexpected controversy when an audio recording allegedly containing disparaging comments about Wang was circulated online. Zhang subsequently denied that the remarks were directed at Wang and said that the recording concerned advice he was giving to a younger teammate.
The defeat itself was not the only reason the match attracted attention. Wang’s form throughout the opening stage was unusually inconsistent. After losing to Xu Haidong and Zhang, he was forced to come from behind against both Li Tianyang and Xiang Peng. Even Wang himself acknowledged afterward that he had not won many of his matches.
That does not necessarily mean that Wang should be written off. His 6–2 record still represents a strong performance, and Shandong Weiqiao qualified for the finals. More importantly, Wang has considerable experience of delivering when the stakes are highest. But compared with his dominant reputation, the regular season exposed vulnerabilities that the other finalists will certainly have noticed.
Shandong Weiqiao remain the team to beat
Despite Wang’s struggles, Shandong Weiqiao remain one of the strongest candidates for the title.
The defending champions have an imposing core built around Wang Chuqin, Liang Jingkun and Zhou Qihao. Liang brings enormous experience and big-match reliability, while Zhou had an excellent regular season himself, posting an 8–2 record and a +6 differential. Wang’s presence gives the team perhaps the highest ceiling of any side in the competition.
The crucial question will be whether Wang can rediscover his best form in December. If he does, Shandong’s combination of Wang, Liang and Zhou could once again prove extremely difficult to beat. If Wang continues to struggle, however, the defending champions suddenly look much more vulnerable than they did on paper before the season began.
Shanghai and Lin Shidong are serious contenders
Shanghai Zhongxing may have the most dangerous individual player outside of Shandong.
Lin Shidong finished the regular season with an 8–2 record and a +6 differential, matching Zhou Qihao statistically. The young star has already established himself as one of the leading players in the world and possesses the consistency and attacking firepower needed to dominate a league format. Shanghai’s roster also includes Yuan Licen, Zhou Kai and Zhao Zihao, giving the team considerable depth.
Lin’s presence makes Shanghai a particularly dangerous opponent in the finals. If he can win his expected matches and the team’s second player can provide support, Shanghai have a realistic chance of challenging for the championship.
Huangshi have plenty of firepower
Huangshi TTC are another team that cannot be overlooked.
The team boasts Xiang Peng and Xue Fei, while Wen Ruibo has also shown some quality table tennis. Xiang’s aggressive style makes him capable of beating almost anyone on a good day, and Huangshi have enough quality throughout their line-up to cause problems for the other finalists.
Huangshi’s challenge will be consistency. Their regular-season record was good enough to earn second place, but the finals are a different environment. Against Shandong or Shanghai, they will need their leading players to perform at their absolute best.
Beijing’s balanced line-up could be the dark horse
The fourth finalist, Beijing Yidianxindong, may be the most intriguing of the four.
Huang Youzheng and Xu Yingbin headline a relatively young squad, with Niu Guankai also providing experience. Huang had an 8–4 regular-season record, while Xu Yingbin went 9–4. Those numbers do not quite match the dominant records of Li Tianyang, Lin Shidong or Zhou Qihao, but they demonstrate that Beijing have multiple players capable of contributing consistently.
That balance could become particularly important in the finals, where a team cannot rely exclusively on one superstar. Beijing may not enter Guangzhou as the favorite, but they have enough depth to punish any opponent that underperforms.
Li Tianyang is the breakout star
The biggest individual revelation of the regular season, however, was Li Tianyang.
The 19-year-old Jiangsu Zhongchao player finished with nine wins against only two defeats, giving him a +7 differential — the best figure in the entire individual standings. His 82% win rate was also the highest among players with more than a handful of matches.
That achievement is even more impressive considering the quality of the opposition. Li was not simply beating lower-ranked players; he pushed the established stars as well. Wang Chuqin had to fight back from a set down to defeat him 2–1, while Lin Shidong also needed five games to overcome Li, 3–2.
Born in December 2006, Li has already reached a career-best world ranking of No. 129 in April 2026, and his Super League performance suggests that his rise could accelerate rapidly.
The fact that he finished ahead of players such as Lin Shidong, Zhou Qihao and Wang Chuqin in the individual statistics is more than just an interesting statistic. It is an indication that another potential star is emerging from China’s seemingly endless production line of elite table tennis talent.
Unfortunately, Jiangsu Zhongchao did not qualify for the finals, meaning fans will not get to see Li challenge the other regular-season standouts in Guangzhou. Nevertheless, his performance may prove to be one of the most significant stories of the entire 2026 season.
The finals should be wide open
The four teams heading to Guangzhou — Shandong Weiqiao, Beijing Yidianxindong, Shanghai Zhongxing and Huangshi TTC — offer four very different routes to the title.
On paper, Shandong remain the favorites because of their championship pedigree and the sheer quality of their roster. But Shanghai’s Lin Shidong and Huangshi’s attacking group give both teams a genuine chance to knock them off. Beijing, meanwhile, have enough depth to become the tournament’s dark horse.
And perhaps the most interesting storyline will be Wang Chuqin himself.
The world’s No. 1 player had an unusually turbulent regular season, suffering defeats to Xu Haidong and Zhang Yudong and finding himself involved in an unexpected controversy. Yet this is precisely the type of situation in which elite players are expected to respond.
The 2026 Chinese Super League regular season therefore leaves us with several questions. Can Wang return to his dominant best? Can Lin Shidong lead Shanghai to the title? Can Huangshi’s young stars deliver under pressure? And, perhaps most importantly, was Li Tianyang’s remarkable regular season the beginning of the next big Chinese table tennis career?
The answers will come in Guangzhou in December.
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