Fan Zhendong unveiled by Borussia Dusseldorf

Chinese table tennis star Fan Zhendong was officially unveiled by his new club Borussia Dusseldorf at a press conference on Thursday, as the Olympic champion prepares for his second season in the German Table Tennis Bundesliga and another campaign in European competition.

Fan Zhendong (R) gives his jersey to Stephan Keller, mayor of Dusseldorf, during the welcoming ceremony in Dusseldorf, Germany, Aug. 20, 2026. Chinese table tennis star Fan Zhendong was officially unveiled by his new club Borussia Dusseldorf at a press conference here on Thursday, as the Olympic champion prepares for his second season in the German Table Tennis Bundesliga and another campaign in European competition. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu)

Speaking to Xinhua about his decision to stay in Germany for another season, Fan described the move as another step forward in his career.

"I think this is the second year and I think it's a new chapter in my career," Fan said. "Every match is a new challenge."

Fan said his longtime friend and German table tennis legend Timo Boll had introduced him to Borussia Dusseldorf and the club's culture, something he is keen to learn more about.

"I also want to improve myself," Fan said. "This season, maybe I can play much better than last year. I want to keep fighting."

Borussia Dusseldorf announced Fan's signing in March on a one-season contract that took effect on July 1.

Fan spent last season with 1. FC Saarbrucken-TT, helping the club win the German Cup, Champions League and Bundesliga title to complete the first treble in its history.

The 2025-26 campaign was Fan's first season in European club table tennis. He recorded 20 wins in 23 Bundesliga matches and was later voted the league's Player of the Season.

His switch from Saarbrucken to Dusseldorf also adds another chapter to his friendship with Boll, who spent nearly two decades with Borussia Dusseldorf and is one of the most iconic players in the club's history.

Fan said he spoke frequently with Boll before making the move, with the former German international helping him learn more about the club. Fan said he hopes to begin a new chapter in Dusseldorf and help the team compete for titles.

The arrival of the Chinese star has generated enormous attention for Dusseldorf, according to club manager Andreas Preuss.

Preuss said social media interest in the club was "now 500 times higher than we had before."

"So we are reaching more and more people all over the world," he said, adding that the club was seeing growing interest from the media, fans and sponsors, as well as increased interaction with China.

"To be honest, I have the feeling ... we are just at the beginning of our trip," Preuss said.

Dusseldorf opened its new Bundesliga season with a 3-0 away victory over TTC OE Bad Homburg on Tuesday, with Fan not featuring in the match.

The 29-year-old is scheduled to make his competitive debut for Dusseldorf in Saturday's home match against TSV Bad Konigshofen.

With considerable interest surrounding Fan's first home appearance, Dusseldorf moved the match from its regular ARAG CenterCourt, which seats around 1,100 spectators, to the Mitsubishi Electric Halle, which has a capacity of more than 4,000.

The club said more than 3,000 tickets had already been sold for the match.

Borussia Dusseldorf is one of the most successful clubs in German table tennis. Alongside Fan, its squad for the new season includes Germany's Dang Qiu, Sweden's Anton Kallberg, American Kanak Jha and China's Li Yongyin, with Danny Heister as head coach.

The club will compete for titles in the Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League this season.

Born in 1997, Fan won the men's singles gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and was also part of China's gold medal-winning men's teams at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

A former longtime world No. 1, he won the men's singles title at the World Table Tennis Championships in 2021 and 2023.