Zhang Yudong Denies Allegations of Disparaging Wang Chuqin After Leaked Audio

An audio recording allegedly capturing former national table tennis player Zhang Yudong disparaging world No 1 Wang Chuqin’s abilities and accusing him of posturing was leaked online after Wang’s defeat to Zhang on Saturday. On Sunday, Zhang denied the allegations on social media, stating that he had reported the matter to the police and clarified that his remarks were intended to guide a teammate rather than target Wang. The two faced each other in the first leg of the regular season of the China Table Tennis Super League, which concluded in Dalian on Sunday. In a match that ended around noon on Saturday, Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group defeated Sichuan Fenggu Table Tennis Club 8-3 overall to notch their third straight victory. However, Shandong’s Wang suffered a 1-2 defeat to Sichuan’s Zhang, who was returning to competition after a four-year retirement, in the second men’s singles tie. Shortly after, a leaked prematch recording allegedly showed Zhang describing Wang as “having no real ability” and “pretentious”, triggering widespread online debate.