Most of us are aware of the immense pressure that comes with being a professional athlete. For Guangzhou-born table tennis player, Fan Zhendong, this pressure came with an unreasonable amount of judgement.
The 27-year-old, who was once ranked number 1 the world, lost to his compatriot Lin Shidong, 18, at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Grand Smash earlier this month. The competition took place here, at the Singapore Sports Hub.
He was unable to proceed to the top 16 of the competition, and saw his position taken over by a fellow Chinese player, Wang Chuqin.
Not long after his defeat, a clip of Zhendong enjoying himself at Taylor Swift’s Singapore gig went viral on Chinese social media.
He was seen wearing colourful friendship bracelets, carrying Taylor Swift merch, and singing excitedly to her songs at the concert — just like any other Swiftie.
Unfortunately, Zhendong’s behaviour landed on the wrong side of the internet, seizing the attention of an angry hoard of netizens.
He was harshly criticised, with many saying he should have focused on training and not have taken time off to have fun.