Olympic champions Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng are noticeably absent from the WTT Champions Macao and China Smash events. Both athletes clinched gold medals at the Paris Olympics—Fan Zhendong in both the singles and team events, and Chen Meng in the singles and team events. After their impressive performances in Paris, they seem to be taking more time before returning to international competition. The reason behind their absence remains unclear, as neither player's health status has been officially disclosed.
In addition to Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, several other prominent players are missing from the WTT Champions Macao. The list of absentees includes:
Fan Zhendong (2)
Hugo Calderano (3)
Felix Lebrun (5)
Ma Long (6)
Jang Woojin (13)
Dima Ovtcharov (16)
Alexis Lebrun (19)
Lee Sang Su (27)
Marcos Freitas (29)
Fans are speculating whether these players are also dealing with injuries or health issues, or if there might be other reasons for their absence.