Sun Yingsha

Career

Sun Yingsha won her first singles title at the Asian Championships in Mumbai at the age of 13 years old. Sun became a top tennis player when she won the 2017 World Junior Championships. The same year, she won her first senior tournament in the Japan Open.

Her winning streak continued as she held onto her record the following year when she won the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. At the same time, this accomplished table tennis player held seven doubles titles. There was no doubt that Sun Yingsha was becoming a name to reckon with in this sport!

In 2019, Sun won the doubles event at the World Championships held in Budapest. Participating in the 2020 Olympic Games hosted in Tokyo, Sun was the silver medallist in the singles event. In 2022, the world watched this table tennis player become champion of the Singapore Smash 2022 in the women’s and mixed doubles while winning a bronze medal in the singles event. From February 2022 till May 2023, Sun held the number 1 world ranking for women’s singles.

Game Style

Nicknamed the Little Demon King, Salsa, and Shitoka in the World, Sun Yingsha is a right-handed player with a shakehand grip. Using the oldest grip style in the game, Sun clearly demonstrates her power when playing table tennis against her competitors. The shakehand grip is popular among European players as well. Sun values learning from high-level competitors, referring to players such as Japan’s rising teenage star, Mima Ito. Through such interactions with rivals, Sun Yingsha has been able to sharpen her technical skills, which is essential for staying in the top rankings.

Her game style has matured, and her ability to focus intensely is demonstrated in her recent competitions. Sun willingly takes on mental challenges while being open to taking advice from her coaches when improving her playing style. She’s noted for her resiliency, composition, and eagerness to win against the strongest opponent. Defeating Chen Meng in the WTT Cup Finals in October 2022 was a clear example of Sun’s game style, demonstrating her powerful forehand hit to win the championship trophy. Determined to lead Team China through many more victories, Sun Yingsha continues to hone her game style while being a reliable player on the country’s team.

Teachers and Influences

Encouraged by her parents to play table tennis from the age of four for health reasons, Sun Yingsha grew into the game of ping-pong to become a strong player. Growing up, Sun admits to being influenced by great table tennis stars such as Ning-Jie (Zhang Yining), who was nicknamed the “Big Devil.” Sun watches videos of Zhang’s games over and over again to sharpen her own playing style. Other influencers include Zhang Jike, Li Xiaoxia, and Ma Long. Teachers such as the head coach, Li Sun, of China’s national women’s team and Huang Haicheng have been linked to Sun’s rising achievements in the game of ping-pong.

Advice for Aspiring Players

Despite being in her twenties, Sun Yingsha takes her role model status seriously, inspiring young table tennis players not to give up when the game gets challenging. She offers the same encouragement to her peers by acknowledging their expectations while having an understanding of their own challenges that are similar to hers. Hearing other youngsters identify her as their idol makes Sun feel responsible for her role as an influencer. She motivates other aspiring players to persevere if they’re passionate about the table tennis game. Sun urges junior players not to let setbacks keep them from achieving their ultimate goals.

While defeats can put you in a bad mood, Sun Yingsha tells aspiring table tennis players not to let a loss affect them. In her own words, Sun says, “I try to not let one defeat or any small things influence or affect me, or make me think I’m incapable of achieving things.” Trusting yourself is key to becoming a winner, she continues to tell youngsters inspired by her.