On May 11, Beijing time, in the women's singles final of the 2024 WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Slam, Chen Meng defeated Sun Yingsha 4-2 to win the championship. It can be said that the current showdown between Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha is the pinnacle of women's singles in the world today. Chen Meng's ability to defeat three Japanese Olympic players in a row in this pre-match for the Paris Olympics, and then beat world No. 1 Sun Yingsha in the final to break her more than two-year title drought is very morale-boosting for her. In the women's singles final of the Paris Olympics 84 days later, it is very likely that these two will compete for the title, and Sun Yingsha, who is only one Olympic gold medal away from the Grand Slam, seems to have some pressure. If Sun Yingsha can't become a new women's Grand Slam this summer, Chen Meng can also launch the ultimate attack on the Grand Slam crown at the World Table Tennis Championships next year.
Sun Yingsha and Chen Meng are sisters who have a good relationship, and Sun Yingsha had the nickname "Chen Meng's little secretary" before becoming the main force. Looking back at the 2017 Japan Open seven years ago, Chen Meng took Xiao Sasha, who participated in an international tournament for the first time, to Tokyo, and the 16-year-old Sun Yingsha's personal best result was only a top 32 in the domestic national championship. Sun Yingsha became an instant hit in that competition, winning both doubles and singles, and Chen Meng, who won 4-3 in the singles final, and Xiao Sasha's world ranking went from nothing to directly parachuting into the top 10 in the world.
Sun Yingsha's progress and dominance over the years are obvious to all, and the commendable thing is that Chen Meng, as a 30-year-old veteran, is still working hard to improve. Liu Guozheng's comments on Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha tonight were: "Both of them have comprehensive skills, Sun Yingsha's main characteristics are the speed and landing point in the hold, and Chen Meng is the change in the rhythm and landing point in the hold. ”
Chen Meng is currently missing a World Table Tennis Championships champion from the Grand Slam, and Chen Meng has stood on the singles podium in the past three individual World Table Tennis Championships, losing to Liu Shiwen in the final in Budapest in 2019 and winning the runner-up, losing to Wang Manyu in the semi-finals in 2021 and winning the third place, and losing to Sun Yingsha in the final of the World Table Tennis Championships in Durban last year and winning the runner-up again.
The Chinese table tennis team is the cradle of championships, but it is not easy to achieve a grand slam in the fierce and cruel competition. Ma Lin was still short of a World Table Tennis Championships singles title in her life, and Wang Hao participated in three consecutive Olympic Games and won the silver medal three times in singles. Wang Liqin won the World Table Tennis Championships three times, but he has never made achievements in the Olympic Games and individual World Cups.
Looking forward to the women's singles final of the Paris Olympics 84 days later, the 23-year-old Sun Yingsha is young and imposing, but the 30-year-old Chen Meng is calm and experienced to be experienced, and it will be normal for either of them to win in the end. If Sun Yingsha fails to seize the opportunity, Chen Meng will become the third player in the history of Olympic table tennis to win the singles championship after Deng Yaping and Zhang Yining. Of course, if Sun Yingsha can win, she will immediately ascend to the new women's Grand Slam throne.
And Chen Meng's Olympic Games this summer, regardless of victory or defeat, with her current state and strength, it is very likely that she will continue to play until next year. At next year's World Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar, Chen Meng still hopes to play for his career and make the final sprint to the Grand Slam.