A photo of Xiang Peng during competition. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) released the ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking for the 2025 Week 20 on May 13, with Xiang Peng, young talent from Taizhou, Zhejiang province, reached the ninth place of the ranking, achieving a new career high.

Born on April 8, 2003, in Wenling city of Taizhou, Xiang started learning table tennis in kindergarten and soon displayed natural athletic talent. Rising to prominence in 2014, at the age of 11, he won two golds and one silver at the Games of Zhejiang Province and subsequently joined the provincial team.

In 2017, Xiang earned a spot in the national B team and in 2019, he joined the national A team. In December 2021, he defended his title as the men's singles champion at the World Junior Table Tennis Championships. From 2023 to the present, he has partnered with teammates to win several WTT men's doubles.

Xiang claimed a 4-0 victory at the World Table Tennis Champions Incheon 2025 in the men's singles final on April 6. This marked his first victory at the ITTF World Championships and the first time in 30 years that Zhejiang has produced a world champion in table tennis.

As a result, Xiang's world ranking rose from 23rd to 13th, achieving career high after one month. At just the age of 22, it signifies the boundless potential of this young athlete from Taizhou.