You might be shocked to know that table tennis isn’t just a recreational sport, with table tennis players making some serious coin on the professional circuit. In the west table tennis is one of those games you get into on a Friday night with a side of beer.
But some table tennis players have taken their recreational activity up a level to turn it into a career. Table tennis happens to be the most popular indoor sport in the world today. A less professional version of it is called ping pong. It’s like the miniature version of tennis.
This sport is governed by the International Table Tennis Federation that was established in 1926. It currently has more than 220 member countries. Here is our Richlist of the top 10 table tennis players with the highest net worth.
Wang Hao
Net Worth: Approx. $1.5 million
Wang Hao has won three Table Tennis World Cup competitions from 2004 to 2012. This makes him one of the most successful players in the world. He was number one for a long time, until 2010 when he lost his position to Ma Long.
Zhang Jike
Net worth: $4 million
Zhang Jike is a top-rated table tennis player who rose to international fame in 2008. He won the singles titles during the Chinese National Championships and beat out three Olympic champions – Wang Liqin, Ma Lin and Wang Hao.
Fan Zhendong
Net Worth: Approx. $5 million
Fan Zhendong has a very unique playing style, which has made him a sought-after player. Other than table tennis, he has had plenty of brand deals which have caused his net worth to accumulate to the estimated $5 million, but this is not yet public. He is also the third most famous table tennis player in the world.
Liu Guoliang
Net worth: Approx. $5 million
He is a retired table tennis player who won all the major world tournaments which included the World Cup, and Olympic Games. He is the second man to achieve three major grand slams and is considered by many to be one of the greatest in the world.
Timo Boll
Net Worth: Approx. $7 million
This is a German player and one of the most famous Table tennis players from Europe. Currently, he plays for Borussia Dusseldorf, which has one of the greatest rankings in Germany. During his career, he was number one three years, 2003, 2011 and 2018.
Jan-Ove Waldner
Net Worth: Approx. $10 million
He is also known as “The Mozart,” and “Magic Shoes.” His nicknames are with good reason because he is one of the most notable table tennis players in the world. Born in Sweden, and now a retired player, he still managed to make excellent strides in his career and amassed the net worth of more than $10 million.
Jean-Michel Saive
Net Worth: Approx. $15 million
Jean- Michel Saive has had a 35-year career, and experienced incredible development to become one of the most revered table tennis players in the world. His sports journey ended when he was 50 years old and had already competed in seven Olympic Games from 1988-2012.
Although the above net worth is just an estimate, his actual net worth is unknown, but based on his stocks, luxury goods, houses, and belongings, experts estimate it to be around $15 million.
Chen Jing
Net Worth: Approx. $18 million
The only woman in our list, Chen Jing is a world-famous table tennis player, and at 51 years old, she is an Olympic Champion from China who won the gold medal in the1988 Summer Olympics that were held in Seoul.
She has been retired for some time now, and her estimated net worth makes her one of the wealthiest women in the sport. In 1996, she received a silver medal during the Summer Olympics and also managed to win a medal in Taipei.
Wang Liqin
Net Worth: Approx. $20 million
This is a retired player who was the number one player for a whole. He is still considered one of the best players in the world. His style of play is a shake hand grip and a strong attitude. He won plenty of medals, in his career. He started young at the age of 15 by playing in the Chinese League.
Ma Long
Net Worth: Approx. $20 million
Ma Long is the most famous and the richest table tennis player of all time. He has won three world cup championships since 2004-2012, which also makes him the most successful players in table tennis.
He did lose his top position in 2010 and was replaced by another great player, but he had already broken plenty of records. He won the World Cup in 2007, 2008 and 2010. His estimated net worth is also from his many partnerships and deals.
Table Tennis Players Richlist Conclusion
Well, China has certainly got the edge in table tennis these days with some of the best players in the world,, that edge could be overtaken. Table tennis has been one of those games people play in their garage or basement. But knowing you can get super rich might just bring basement players out into the spotlight.
