1. Early Life and Background
Chen Meng's early life was marked by a rapid ascent in the world of table tennis, beginning with her introduction to the sport through her family.
1.1. Childhood and Education
Chen Meng was born on January 15, 1994, in Qingdao, Shandong, China. Her mother, who was also a table tennis player, significantly influenced her early involvement in the sport. Chen began playing table tennis at a very young age and quickly demonstrated exceptional talent. By the age of nine, she had already joined her provincial team, a testament to her promising abilities and dedication to training.
1.2. Start of National Team Career
Her remarkable progress continued, leading to her recruitment into the Chinese national table tennis team in 2007 when she was just 13 years old. This marked the official beginning of her professional career, placing her among the elite young talents in one of the world's most competitive table tennis programs.
2. Major Competition Achievements
Chen Meng has accumulated an impressive array of medals and titles across various major international table tennis competitions, showcasing her consistent performance at the highest level of the sport.
2.1. Olympic Games
Chen Meng is a celebrated Olympic champion, having secured multiple gold medals. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, she clinched two gold medals. In the women's singles event, she advanced through tough matches, defeating Singapore's Yu Mengyu 4-0 in the semifinals and overcoming a 0-2 deficit to beat Hong Kong's Doo Hoi Kem 4-2 in the quarterfinals. In an all-Chinese final, she defeated compatriot Sun Yingsha 4-2 to secure her first Olympic gold medal. Following her singles victory, Chen Meng, alongside Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, contributed to China's dominant performance in the women's team event, where they defeated Japan 3-0 in the final to earn her second gold medal.
Her Olympic success continued at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. On August 3, 2024, Chen Meng once again won the gold medal in the women's singles final, defeating Sun Yingsha 4-2 in a highly anticipated rematch. A week later, on August 10, she secured her fourth Olympic gold medal as part of the victorious Chinese women's table tennis team.
2.2. World Championships
Chen Meng has been a consistent medalist at the World Table Tennis Championships, earning numerous medals in team, doubles, and singles events.
She has won five gold medals in the women's team event: in 2014 Tokyo, 2016 Kuala Lumpur, 2018 Halmstad, 2022 Chengdu, and 2024 Busan.
In doubles, she secured a gold medal at the 2023 Durban partnering with Wang Yidi. She also earned silver medals in women's doubles at the 2017 Düsseldorf (with Zhu Yuling) and bronze medals at the 2013 Paris (with Zhu Yuling) and 2019 Budapest (with Zhu Yuling), as well as at the 2021 Houston (with Qian Tianyi).
In singles, Chen Meng has won two silver medals, at the 2019 Budapest and 2023 Durban. She also claimed a bronze medal in singles at the 2021 Houston.
2.3. World Cup and ITTF Tour
Chen Meng has achieved significant success in other major international tournaments, including the Table Tennis World Cup, ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, and WTT events.
She won the singles title at the 2020 ITTF Women's World Cup in Weihai. She also secured a gold medal in the mixed team event at the 2023 Chengdu World Cup and a bronze medal in singles at the 2024 Macao World Cup.
Chen Meng has dominated the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, winning the women's singles title four consecutive times from 2017 to 2020. She also won the doubles title at the 2017 Grand Finals with Zhu Yuling. Her other Grand Finals achievements include a bronze medal in singles in 2021 Singapore and a silver medal in singles at the 2022 Xinxiang WTT Cup Finals.
Across the broader ITTF World Tour circuit, Chen Meng has amassed a substantial number of titles. She has won 15 singles titles, including the China Open (2012, 2013, 2019), Qatar Open (2012, 2017, 2020), Swedish Open (2013, 2019), Japan Open (2015), Australian Open (2017), German Open (2017, 2020), Austrian Open (2018), Korea Open (2019), and Hungarian Open (2019).
In doubles, she has won 13 ITTF World Tour titles with various partners:
- With Zhu Yuling: Kuwait Open (2012), China Open (2012, 2013, 2016), Australian Open (2017)
- With Liu Shiwen: China Open (2015), Japan Open (2019)
- With Mu Zi: Swedish Open (2015)
- With Wang Manyu: Qatar Open (2017), Australian Open (2019), Korea Open (2019)
- With Ding Ning: Korea Open (2018), Swedish Open (2019)
She has also achieved success in the WTT series, winning the inaugural WTT Singapore Smash in 2022 and the WTT Saudi Smash in 2024.
2.4. Asian Games and Other Competitions
Chen Meng has also excelled in regional and junior competitions, demonstrating her talent from an early age.
At the Asian Games, she has won four gold medals in the women's team event (2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta Palembang, 2022 Hangzhou) and women's doubles (2014 Incheon). She also earned a silver medal in women's singles at the 2018 Jakarta Palembang Asian Games.
In the Asian Table Tennis Championships, Chen Meng has secured five gold medals: in women's doubles (2013 Busan, 2017 Wuxi, 2023 Pyeongchang) and women's team (2013 Busan, 2023 Pyeongchang). She also won a gold medal in mixed doubles (2015 Pattaya) and women's team (2015 Pattaya). Her silver medals include women's singles (2017 Wuxi, 2015 Pattaya), and bronze medals include women's singles (2013 Busan) and mixed doubles (2013 Busan), and women's doubles (2015 Pattaya).
At the East Asian Games, she won three gold medals in 2013 Tianjin in women's singles, women's doubles, and women's team events.
As a junior, Chen Meng was highly successful at the World Junior Table Tennis Championships. She won seven gold medals: in women's singles (2011 Manama), women's doubles (2009 Cartagena, 2011 Manama), mixed doubles (2011 Manama), and women's team (2008 Madrid, 2009 Cartagena, 2011 Manama). She also earned a bronze medal in women's singles at the 2009 Cartagena championships.
Her junior achievements also include two gold medals at the 2009 Asian Youth Games in Singapore (women's singles, mixed team) and a silver medal in mixed doubles. At the 2009 Asian Junior Championships in Jaipur, she won gold in both women's singles and women's team.
2.5. World Rankings
Chen Meng's career has been marked by significant achievements in the ITTF World Ranking. She first ascended to the World No. 1 position in January 2018, following the introduction of a new ranking system. She then maintained a dominant hold on the top spot for an extended period, from June 2019 to January 2022. As of July 2024, her current ranking is World No. 4.
3. Playing Style and Equipment
Chen Meng is known for her powerful and aggressive playing style, utilizing a right-handed shakehand grip. She stands at 5.4 ft (1.66 m) and weighs 130 lb (59 kg). Her game is characterized by strong forehand and backhand drives, making her a formidable opponent from both sides of the table.
For her equipment, Chen Meng uses a Butterfly Viscaria blade. Her forehand rubber is the DHS Hurricane 3, while her backhand rubber is the DHS Hurricane 8. Japanese sources specify her forehand rubber as National Hurricane Neo 3 Blue Sponge (41 degrees) and her backhand rubber as National Hurricane Neo 3 Orange Sponge (37 degrees), indicating a preference for specialized Chinese rubbers that allow for high spin and power. Her playing style is often described as a two-sided inverted drive type, emphasizing her ability to generate powerful topspin shots with both forehand and backhand.
4. Personal Life
Chen Meng has notable familial connections; she is a second cousin to the acclaimed Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming. Their paternal grandmothers are sisters, establishing a close family bond. Huang Xiaoming publicly congratulated Chen Meng on social media following her victory in the women's singles title at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Beyond her family, Chen Meng also maintains a friendship with Japanese table tennis player Kasumi Ishikawa, a relationship that developed during their junior careers.
5. Impact and Evaluation
Chen Meng stands as one of the most decorated and influential figures in contemporary table tennis, with a career marked by numerous major titles and sustained periods of dominance.
5.1. Major Achievements and Status
Chen Meng has achieved a remarkable collection of major titles, cementing her status as an elite player. Her two Olympic singles gold medals (2020, 2024) and two Olympic team gold medals (2020, 2024) are the pinnacle of her achievements, highlighting her ability to perform under the highest pressure. She is also a World Cup singles champion (2020) and a multiple World Championships gold medalist in team and doubles events. Her consistent success on the ITTF World Tour, including four consecutive ITTF World Tour Grand Finals singles titles, further underscores her sustained excellence.
While she has not completed the traditional "singles Grand Slam" (Olympic singles, World Championship singles, World Cup singles), having won silver twice at the World Championships in singles, her overall record, including multiple Olympic golds and World Cup gold, places her among the sport's all-time greats. Her extended tenure as World No. 1 from 2019 to 2022 demonstrates her consistent top-tier performance and competitive longevity. Chen Meng's contributions have significantly reinforced China's dominance in international table tennis, inspiring a new generation of players.