Wang Nan (Chinese:王楠;pinyin:Wáng Nán; born October 23, 1978, inFushun,Liaoning) is a femaleChinesetable tennis player fromLiaoning. Wang was ranked world #1 on theITTF ranking system from January 1999 to November 2002. She is left-handed, and began playing table tennis when she was seven years old. Her particular skills are changing the placement of the ball during rallies and her loop drive, as well as her notable speed. Wang has been the leader of the women's table-tennis team of China afterDeng Yaping's retirement. In terms of achievements, she is one of the most successful female table tennis players (alongsideLi Xiaoxia,Deng Yaping,Ding Ning,Zhang Yining) having won the gold medal in each of the Table Tennis World Cup, the Table Tennis World Championships, and the Olympic Games.
In 1994 Wang Nan won the women's singles titles at theSwedish Open. The nex, Women's World Table Tennis Cup andOlympic Games. From 1997 to 1998 she won the Women's World Table Tennis Cup twice, as well as the American Open and China Open. At the1998 Asian Games inBangkok, Wang won the four gold medals on offer (singles, doubles, mixed doubles and women teams). At the end of 1998, she won the ITTF tour finals.
In 1999 she won the gold medal at the World Table Tennis Championships and the ITTF tour finals in both singles and doubles. She became world #1 in the same year. In the2000 Summer Olympics inSydney she won two gold medals in singles and doubles. Her excellent success record has resulted in her becoming a Grand-Slam champion.
However, in the2002 Asian Games inBusan, she lost two finals in the singles and women's teams competitions, winning no gold medals. Many people criticized her attitude and observed that she was inactive and lacking confidence. A lot of rumors claimed that she was going to retire because her skills were depleted and she could not compete on the improving world stage.
Wang Nan attended 2003 World Table Tennis Championships inParis. This is her fourth time representingChina. She won three gold medals in singles, doubles and mixed doubles and of particular interest, she won both singles and doubles championship for the third time in a row, records which are hard to break in the future. Many people didn't expect her success before the competition began; however, the three gold medals proved that she was still one of the top players in the world.
Four years later at the2008 Summer Olympics she made it to the Women's Final yet again, this time losing out to Zhang Yining, 8–11, 13–11, 11–8, 11–8, 11–3. She did, however, win the team gold for the host country.
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.
Deng Yaping
Lee Eun-Sil
Gao Jun
Shen Yanfei
