After winning the World Youth Championships in Bratislava (2010) and Hyderabad (2012), Zhu Yuling quickly made her mark on the senior international stage. At the 2013 World Championships in Paris, she stood on the podium in both the singles and doubles events. In 2015, she partnered with Liu Shiwen and won her first women’s doubles title at the Suzhou World Championships. Then in 2017, she reached the women's singles final in Düsseldorf, establishing herself as a core player on the Chinese national team.
However, in 2021, Zhu suddenly disappeared from the public eye.
In September 2024, she made her return to international competition after nearly three years. And starting April 2025, Zhu embarks on a new journey as a signed player with Butterfly. We sat down with her to reflect on the path that brought her here, and what her life looks like now.

“I really thought I wouldn’t make it back to the court.”

——You stepped away from competitive table tennis in 2021. Can you tell us more about what led to that decision?
At the end of 2021, due to a combination of unavoidable circumstances, I had to leave the national team.
Among the reasons, health was a major one. In fact, as early as 2019, I was already experiencing some health warning signs. But back then, I was fully focused on earning a spot in the Tokyo Olympics. I knew the chances were slim, but I didn’t want to give up. So, despite the signals my body was sending me, I pushed through and didn’t pay much attention to my health.
In June 2020, I finally received an official diagnosis. Still, with the Olympics postponed, I told myself to hold on for another year, and delayed treatment.
Eventually, in late September 2021, I made the decision to undergo surgery to remove a benign tumor. Thankfully, I’ve now made a full recovery.
After the surgery, the doctor told me I needed at least six months of rest. That made me reconsider everything. It seemed unlikely that I’d be able to return to competition, so I shifted my focus to academics and enrolled in a doctoral program.

——Did you ever consider a comeback at that time?
Not at all. When I first heard I needed six months to recover, it hit me hard. Initially, I was still thinking, “If the tumor is benign and things are fine, maybe I’ll come back.” But hearing that long rest was necessary, from an athlete’s perspective, I honestly felt my career was likely over.
Once I left the team, I really stepped away. I didn’t even watch matches. I was completely out of it.

——So before deciding to return, you hadn’t touched your racket at all?
Right. I barely did any training before deciding to come back. I would jog a little, but from post-surgery until 2022, I didn’t do any real physical activity. My surgical wound was still healing, and honestly, I was scared to move too much.
Then in 2023, I started teaching at a university while working on my PhD. These days, I wear a few different hats—I’m an associate professor at Tianjin University, and I’m actually in Tianjin right now (at the time of this interview).
My weekly schedule is packed—I teach, train, and write my dissertation, all at once. The paper needs to be 100,000 words long, and I still have a long way to go.

——How did you spend those three years away from competition?
The very first thing I did after the surgery was go back to school. I’d always wanted to experience campus life, so pursuing a PhD was a natural choice.
Also, my parents run a business in the chip industry. During that time, I returned to the company and interned to learn some business management skills.
Although I was born in Sichuan, my family moved to Zhuhai, Guangdong, early on. I spent my elementary school years there. Zhuhai is close to Macau.
If I hadn’t joined the national team in Beijing, I might have ended up in Macau, actually. My parents had been planning for me to study there, thinking the policies and opportunities would be better.
Then, by chance, in September 2023, I came across news about Macau’s new “Talent Admission Scheme.” It was the first time they launched something like that since the handover. Hong Kong had similar programs for years, but Macau never did—until then.
I saw the announcement online and thought, “Hey, my qualifications seem to match the criteria.”
I thought, if I ever had the chance to move to Macau, it could be good for my future—life, family, maybe even business. So, I applied right away. My documents were in order, and the process went smoothly.
I submitted everything in September 2023, and by January 2024, I had my Macau ID.

“Getting back on the court I love, I’ll give it my all”

——What motivated your return to table tennis?
Honestly, I didn’t start training again right away. Although I received my Macau ID in January 2024, I was already teaching at Tianjin University at that time. I had no intention of returning to competition as an athlete, but I wasn’t completely disconnected from the sport either. At the university, I coached beginners as well as more experienced students and the school team. Even after obtaining my Macau ID, I continued teaching and remained fully focused on both my academic work and research.
Then, in late July, I heard about the upcoming WTT Champions event to be held in Macau that September. There was one wildcard slot reserved for local players, and the Macau Table Tennis Association asked if I’d be interested. I hesitated at first.
My current role is very different from that of a professional athlete. I’m no longer a player—I’m a university teacher. To my students, I’m “the teacher.” But in that identity, I made the decision to step back onto the court I love and give it everything I could.
I had never truly left the sport. I was coaching every day, accompanying students to tournaments, and staying engaged with table tennis. When I asked my students what they thought, they said, “We’d love to see our teacher play on TV.” That really touched me.
So, I started training again—at least three times a week. I got back into a proper training routine. But honestly, I was still nervous and unsure whether I could really perform again.
It happened to be summer break, and some of my students didn’t even go home. They stayed on campus to help me practice, feed balls, and train with me. Their support gave me tremendous encouragement.

——How did it feel to return to international competition after three years?
To be honest, I was very nervous. The night before the match in Macau, I was too excited and anxious to sleep. I had no idea what kind of performance I could deliver, and I knew I wasn’t fully prepared.
Even so, just being able to step back onto the court made me incredibly happy. Three years ago, I thought I’d never compete again. I had completely accepted that I’d left the world of table tennis behind and had entered a completely different phase of life.
During the match, I gave everything I had—maybe more than 100%. Coming back wasn’t easy. I had to overcome a lot of obstacles along the way.
But when I watched the match footage afterward, I almost couldn’t bear to look. I wasn’t satisfied with my performance. Maybe it’s because I was still holding myself to the standards I had before, and that’s something I’m still learning to adjust.

“You don’t have to choose just one path in life”

——Isn’t it tough juggling both teaching and competing?
In China, it used to be normal—even expected—for athletes to devote themselves entirely to one thing. That was a kind of educational philosophy too. But I’ve changed. Over the past three years, I’ve developed a new mindset. I no longer believe that a person can only focus on one thing, or that they must restrict themselves to a single path. I want to explore different possibilities.
Chinese universities have long academic breaks—typically only five to six months of actual class time per year. The university has also been incredibly supportive, helping me adjust my schedule when needed. Teaching is still my main job, and I have no plans to give that up. I’ve learned so much through teaching—it’s helped me grow a lot.

——What are you studying in your doctoral program?
My major is economics and management, but my dissertation focuses on the factors influencing elite athletes’ career transitions. It’s a topic I care deeply about—and I’m also one of the case studies.
After leaving the national team, I started asking myself serious questions: “What else can I do besides play table tennis?” “How do athletes find a new direction?” At that time, I couldn’t find any clear path forward. Then I decided to study the issue academically, hoping to find answers—not just for myself, but maybe for others too.
I didn’t pursue a PhD just for the title or degree. My life has revolved almost entirely around table tennis. I had very little exposure to society outside the sport, and honestly, I knew almost nothing about the world beyond the game.
I feel like there’s a kind of wall between the world of athletes and the rest of society. To better understand what’s on the other side of that wall, I chose to focus my research on the career transitions of elite athletes. I'm especially interested in how world champion level athletes build new paths for themselves after retiring from competition. That’s something I’m exploring in depth through my doctoral work.

“Through table tennis, I continue to dream”

——That sounds closely tied to your current relationship with the sport. Has your perspective on table tennis changed?
Absolutely. The university has been very supportive of me playing competitively. They believe that my presence on the court gives students the most direct and inspiring kind of education. Every time I play, the students organize watch parties. When I return to campus, they greet me at the airport with signs and flowers, and we talk about the experience together.
They never care whether I win or lose—they’re just incredibly proud to say, “That’s our teacher!” That means the world to me. I think that’s what makes me different from other athletes.
On top of being a teacher, I’m also still a student. The first thing I focused on after leaving the national team was my dissertation. The earliest possible deadline is the end of this year (2025), and it’s an academic paper written entirely in English. I presented my research topic at the end of 2023—in English as well. Academic English is quite different from daily conversation, so I’ve had to keep working at it.
For me, table tennis has become a way of life—a bridge between the athletic world and the academic world. Playing brings me happiness and helps me stay healthy. More importantly, it keeps my dreams alive—the dream of seeing how far I can still go. I don’t want to limit myself. I want to keep growing.

“Butterfly blades paired with Butterfly rubbers feel like the ideal setup for me.”

——Now as a Butterfly sponsored player. What are your impressions of the Butterfly brand?
Although I played on the national team for many years, I actually started using Butterfly equipment when I was a kid.
Around 2004, when I had only been playing table tennis for a couple of years, my parents bought me a Butterfly blade. I used Sriver FX rubbers on both my forehand and backhand. At the time, I was still small and didn’t have much strength, so I couldn’t generate much spin. But the elasticity of Butterfly rubbers made it feel like I could save a lot of energy—they really worked for me. I still remember it was during the old Butterfly logo era—the classic butterfly design. That left a very strong and positive impression on me.
Later, when I joined the national team, I used an Innerfiber Butterfly blade, just like Zhang Yining. I really loved that blade—it suited my playing style perfectly.
But things changed after I officially became part of the team. At that time, no one on the team was using Butterfly rubbers on their forehand. Since we were all using equipment provided by the team, I just followed along with everyone else.
People generally believed that “Chinese tacky rubbers are better for creating spin,” so I didn’t think too much about it and just went along with it. But honestly, I never felt that those rubbers brought out my true style.
By the end of 2020, while I was still with the national team, I finally had some time to reflect on my technique.
I thought, “Why not switch rubbers and give it a try?”
It was around that time I had the chance to train with Lin Yun-Ju from Chinese Taipei, who was visiting Sichuan. He was using Butterfly’s Tenergy 05 Hard on his forehand. He told me, “This rubber gives great spin on serves and really holds the ball well.”
So I decided to try using the Tenergy 05 Hard on my forehand, which I had originally been using on my backhand.
As soon as I played my first shot, I could feel it—this rubber really holds the ball! That’s when I realized Butterfly rubbers just suit me perfectly. What surprised me most was that even after years of using tacky rubbers, I didn’t have to change my form at all. That made me think, “Maybe I should’ve made the switch earlier.” From then on, I started taking Butterfly gear more seriously and began looking for the setup that fits me best.

——That sounds like quite a decisive equipment change.
Actually, I had wanted to change rubbers for a while. But people around me kept saying, “You already don’t generate much spin—switching rubbers will make it worse.” So I focused on working harder to add more spin.
I eventually came to realize that no matter how much spin I tried to generate, I just couldn’t beat players who were naturally better at it. So I thought—why not change my style entirely and lean into my strength: speed.
With that in mind, I made the decision in the late 2020 to switch rubbers. At the end of that year, during the Chinese Super League, I competed using the new rubber—and I beat Wang Manyu. Even though I hadn’t fully adapted to the new setup yet, I was already seeing some advantages in match play.
As for blade, I’ve never done in-depth technical research. I used to play with a limited-edition Butterfly ALC blade, which had been discontinued. A male player had recommended it to me because he felt it was “too soft.” But when I tried it, it felt perfect—so I bought it from him.
Even now, I still use a blade with the same structure: the Butterfly Viscaria. Every time I try other blades, it takes time to adjust. But Butterfly rubbers paired with a Butterfly blade from day one, it’s been a perfect fit for my hand and style.

——What about your backhand rubber?
Honestly, I’m not very particular about my backhand rubber—maybe because I naturally adapt well to different setups. So for a long time, I just used Tenergy 05 without being too picky.
But recently, a lot of people suggested I try Dignics 09C, saying it offers both spin and speed. I gave it a go for about a week.
I really did notice the benefits. On backhand flicks or topspin shots, I felt around a 15–20% improvement. With Tenergy 05, low balls were a bit tricky to handle, but Dignics 09C creates a clearer arc, which helps. When returning long balls, it’s easier to generate spin and keep the ball on the table. For me, this rubber switch was the right call.
Speaking of backhand rubbers, there’s an interesting story.
When we first switched to plastic balls, I was struggling. I wasn’t in good form and had no idea what combination of gear would work best. One day, I saw someone in my WeChat feed recommend a rubber. I figured, “Why not give it a try?”
That rubber was Butterfly Rozena. Hardly any top players were using it—it was kind of an “unknown”—but it gave me a huge psychological boost and became my secret weapon.
Before that, I had never beaten Liu Shiwen. But using Rozena, I defeated her for the first time in the semifinals of the 2017 World Championships in Düsseldorf. Athletes are often influenced by their equipment on a psychological level. Maybe she also felt something was different. She had never seen me use that rubber before, so perhaps it caught her off guard. That, I suppose, is the real “Butterfly Effect.”

“At the heart of my return is my love for table tennis”

——Finally, what are your goals now as an athlete?
My goal is simply to keep doing what I love, for as long as I can.
Back when I was on the national team, winning was everything. Every match was about chasing the gold, and once one competition ended, it was time to immediately prepare for the next. Over and over again. That kind of life wasn’t meaningless, but it did feel like being stuck in an endless loop. After I left the competitive scene, it actually took me a long time to adjust to a life without that constant pursuit of victory.
Now, I feel more relaxed. I’m no longer obsessed with chasing results. I’ve learned to just enjoy the sport for what it is. The reason I’m able to return to the court—when it comes down to it—is simply because I love playing table tennis. That’s all I want to do: continue doing what I love.
To be honest, my position now is very different from most athletes. Wins and losses no longer define my path in life. I wear many hats, and being a player is just one part of who I am.
At the same time, I don’t want to be boxed in by age—like “You can’t play after 30,” or “You can only make it to your mid-30s.” I want to leave the ending unwritten and just keep doing what I love, for as long as I can. (End of interview)


Is there still a chance for her to win a world title again?
Many still hold on to the hope of seeing her at the top again. But compared to her past life as a national team ace—chasing the highest peaks of the sport—Zhu Yuling now seems to find more joy in balancing competition with teaching and academic life. That world she once belonged to, where only winning mattered, is one most of us can hardly imagine reaching. And yet, we can still sense just how difficult it must have been. Today, she stands atop a very different kind of summit.
Even though she’s no longer at the forefront of the international stage, she’s living a full and meaningful table tennis life. And in doing so, she’s reshaping our definition of what it means to be a “top athlete.” Her journey invites us to rethink the relationship between sports and the athlete—to imagine a future with more paths, more colors, and more ways for life to flourish.
This is not only an inspiration to us, the table fans, but also to top players who remain at the peak of their game—encouraging them to explore more varied ways of connecting with the sport. And maybe it’s precisely because Zhu Yuling once stood at the very top, that her voice today carries such weight. We have every reason to believe that this kind of story—and this kind of message—will open new doors and inspire many more to explore their own possibilities.