In May 2024, the table tennis WTT Saudi Grand Slam kicked off in Jeddah. On May 10, Chen Meng and Wang Manyu won the championship in the women's doubles final by defeating the South Korean pair Tian Zhixi/Shin Yubin 3-0. Subsequently, Chen Meng swept Japan's Hina Hayada 4-0 in the women's singles semifinals and advanced to the final. Although the match was not important, her victory sparked heated discussions, as the national table tennis women's team is finalizing the squad for the Paris Olympics, and this victory has undoubtedly increased Chen Meng's bargaining chips. The national table tennis women's team is full of talents, what are the chances of Chen Meng being selected for the Paris Olympics? Why is she still single at 30?
The table tennis WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Slam is very important for every national table tennis player and directly affects the selection of the Olympic team. As a 30-year-old veteran, Chen Meng faces a huge challenge. Although she was the leader of the national table tennis women's team during the Rio and Tokyo Olympic cycles, with the rise of Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, her position is not stable.
On May 10, in the women's doubles final, the combination of Chen Meng and Wang Manyu defeated the South Korean team 3-0 and won the women's doubles championship. Immediately afterwards, Chen Meng faced Japan's Hina Hayada in the women's singles semifinals. Hina Hayada is the "first sister" of Japanese women's table tennis and has good strength. Born in 2000 in Fukuoka, Japan, she won the women's singles title at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in 2021. This semi-final is crucial for Chen Meng, and if he loses, the consequences will be unimaginable. However, Chen Mengzhi was determined to win and swept Hina Hayada 4-0.
Chen Meng was born in Qingdao, Shandong Province in 1994, is 30 years old and is the eldest sister of the national table tennis women's team. She is skilled, easy-going, and emotionally intelligent, and is loved by fans. Chen Meng is not only a famous national table tennis player, but also the cousin of movie star Huang Xiaoming. However, she never talked about her relationship with Huang Xiaoming in public.
Chen Meng's mother, Xiao Min, was an amateur table tennis player, which influenced Chen Meng's career choice. At the age of 5, Chen Meng began to practice table tennis with coach Wu Naichan of Qingdao Fenyang Road Primary School, showing amazing talent. At the age of 7, she was selected for the Qingdao table tennis team, and then at the age of 10, she was selected by the Shandong provincial table tennis team, leaving her hometown to train in Jinan alone. During the growth of the national table tennis team, Chen Meng showed perseverance and finally entered the second national table tennis team at the age of 13. In 2010, at the age of 16, she was selected for the first team of national table tennis and gradually emerged.
Although the national table tennis team had three main players, Ding Ning, Li Xiaoxia, and Liu Shiwen, Chen Meng gradually stood out in fair competition. After the 2016 Rio Olympics, Chen Meng became the leader of the national table tennis women's team and achieved good results in many international competitions. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Chen Meng won two gold medals in women's singles and women's team, consolidating her leading position.
Chen Meng is just one World Championship gold medal away from a Grand Slam. At the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, she lost to Wang Manyu in the semifinals and missed the opportunity. At the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships in Durban, she lost to Sun Yingsha in the final and won the runner-up. Despite the challenges of the young players, Chen Meng still occupies a place in the competition with his rich experience and stable mental quality. In 2024, she is expected to represent the national table tennis team at the Paris Olympics.
What are Chen Meng's chances of winning the Paris Olympics? According to the analysis of "Fine Celebrities", Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu are her main competitors. Sun Yingsha has comprehensive skills and a steady style of play, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the world. Wang Manyu is known for her offensive style of play and is another key member of the national table tennis women's team. Despite the stiff competition, Chen's performance at the WTT Saudi Grand Slam has undoubtedly boosted her confidence.
Regarding Chen Meng's personal life, despite her beautiful appearance and good personality, she is still not in love. This has something to do with the fact that she is focused on her table tennis career and does not dare to be distracted. After the Paris Olympics, she may be thinking about relationships, and on her terms, it will not be difficult to find the ideal partner.