The Chinese men’s table tennis team has suffered two consecutive shock defeats at the 2026 World Team Championships in London, marking an unprecedented collapse for the sport’s long-standing superpower. After maintaining an undefeated record at the tournament since the 2000 final, the defending champions fell to both South Korea and Sweden within the group stage.

South Korea ignited the tournament’s first major upset by defeating world No. 1 China 3-1. This victory ended a 31-year drought, marking South Korea’s first team win over China since the 1995 Atlanta World Cup.

• Rookie Heroics: Following an initial loss by Kim Jang-won, 2006-born rookie Oh Jun-seong shifted the momentum by defeating Liang Jingkun 3-1.
• Sealing the Upset: Ahn Jae-hyun extended the lead before Oh Jun-seong secured the historic win by defeating world No. 6 Lin Shidong 3-1 in the final singles match.
• Squad Strategy: Notably, China’s world No. 1 Wang Chuqin did not participate in this match due to rest management.

Just 24 hours after losing to South Korea, China suffered a second blow, losing 2-3 to Sweden. This marked Sweden’s first victory over China at the World Team Championships since their 3-2 win in the 2000 final.

• Wang’s Return: China brought back world No. 1 Wang Chuqin, who secured two individual wins. However, his efforts were not enough to overcome Sweden’s overall team depth.
• Ranefur’s Debut: Tournament newcomer Elias Ranefur stunned Lin Shidong with an 11-9 victory in the deciding set of the second match.
• The Final Blow: Sweden’s Anton Kallberg defeated Lin Shidong 3-1 in the final set to confirm the historic upset.

Sweden finished the first stage undefeated to top Group 1, while China dropped to the lower bracket for the knockout stage, finishing only above host nation England in their group.

The losses have sparked heavy criticism back in China, particularly toward Lin Shidong and Liang Jingkun. Fans have raised concerns regarding the team’s squad depth and suggested recalling veterans like Ma Long. Despite the setbacks, China remains in the competition under the 2026 format and will face Australia in the round of 16.

Conversely, the Chinese women’s team has maintained perfect dominance, winning all three matches in Group 1 without dropping a single game to advance as the primary title contenders.