He Zhuojia

Career

China has long been a leader in the field of table tennis. There are many reasons for this and most of them take on a circular field of logic. Table tennis is a popular sport in China and tournaments are broadcast all over the media. As a result, more youth are interested in the sport, which in turn leads to more training facilities and opportunities for players to compete.

As table tennis players age out of the tournament circuit, they then become coaches who inspire the next generation of players.

All over China, you can find state-of-the-art training centers for table tennis. As He Zhuojia was ready to win a tournament when she was just sixteen years old, it is pretty obvious that she benefitted from the table tennis setup in China.

This training is not for the weak of mind or body; however, athletes are expected to play up to seven hours a day. This includes specific training for the sport as well as general exercises to increase their physical fitness. Athletes that are still in school need to keep up with their studies while still finding time for practice. This includes tournament travel time, and once you reach an elite level, such as He Zhuojia was able to do, those tournaments are farther and farther away from home.

All this pressure can be a lot of children, so the fact that He Zhuojia appears to be a well-adjusted woman shows that she has the grit and determination to go far in life.

If anyone who is reading this wants to get into the sport of table tennis but is dismayed by their lack of opportunity, there are many easy ways to get started. If you are short on space or money, instead of purchasing a brand new table, you can choose from our selection of the best retractable ping pong nets. These are portable and will allow you to practice wherever you are.

Furthermore, while these training camps provide non-stop access to coaches and other players to practice with, amateur athletes won't always have that advantage. If you are playing by yourself but still want to practice, you can consider this list of the best robot ping pong robots, which mimic table tennis play and are great if you need more practice but everyone is busy.

Playing Style

The most interesting element of He Zhuojia’s playing style is that she uses long pips. This means the rubber on her paddle can create a spin reversal. When an opponent fires a ball that has a heavy topspin, Zhuojia can counter and her long pips will create an underspin. This can be a surprising twist to play, and if her opponent is not ready, it can mean having to quickly adjust play to accommodate the style.

For new players, finding your style will take plenty of practice. It’s best to simply start learning the game and, above all else enjoy it before you try to hone your play into a unique method.

Achievements

Remarkably, the first international tournament that He Zhuojia played in was in Argentina when she was just fifteen years old. This was part of the International Tennis Tournament Federation (ITTF) Tour. In Argentina, Zhuojia was able to win the tournament, which was an incredibly impressive feat.

In 2018, Zhuojia made another international attempt at victory at the 2018 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, this time held in South Korea. There, victory was just out of her grasp as she lost in the last round to Cheng Meng. Still, a silver medal when she was still so young was incredibly impressive.

Just one year later, Zhuojia made another attempt at a gold medal, this time in the ITTF Challenge in Poland. There, she was able to hang on to victory and took home a well-fought gold medal.

Finally, Zhuojia’s most recent gold medal accomplishment was in 2023 at the WTT Feeder in Doha, Qatar. There, she beat out fellow Chinese player Kuai Man to win in the women’s finals.

Ranking

While this is still quite respectable, she has dropped a few places since she peaked in 2019. Then, Zhuojia was able to achieve a ranking of 13 in November and December of 2019.

After this time, Zhuojia’s game suffered slightly as she hit rankings around 60 in 2022 before starting to make a comeback earlier this year. As Zhuojia is still relatively young, there is still plenty of time for her to achieve the success she’s been working so hard to achieve.

Still, one obstacle that may get in her way is her decision to have children. Many women athletes lose sponsorship deals once they become pregnant or face intense pressure to get back into the game, even as their bodies are still healing. Hopefully, if Zhuojia decides to start a family in the next few years, she will be allowed to do so at her own pace.

Social Media

Unfortunately, He Zhuojia does not have a social media presence. She does not have an account on any of the major sites, including Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. However, The World Table Tennis has an active account on Instagram, so you can follow them for updates on Zhuojia and others of your favorite tennis table players.