On January 4, 2026, Chinese table tennis star Fan Zhendong scored a major victory with his German club, Saarbrücken, clinching the German Cup title in Neu-Ulm. Facing RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell in front of 5,200 pumped-up fans, Fan set the tone by beating former world No. 1 Dimitrij Ovtcharov in straight games.
After the Saarbrücken captain, Patrick Franziska, narrowly fell to Ruwen Filus, Darko Jorgic bounced back, taking down Meng Fanbo to put the team ahead. With the trophy on the line, Fan stepped up again and swept past Filus to seal a 3-1 victory, remaining unbeaten throughout the final.
It wasn't just the final: Fan also powered Saarbrücken past Liebherr Ochsenhausen 3-1 in the semifinals, contributing two more wins. Since joining the club in June 2025, he's been a driving force across the Bundesliga, the German Cup, and the European Champions League.
With the German Cup in hand, Saarbrücken now shifts focus to the European Champions League quarterfinals, kicking off in mid-January 2026. Fan says the chance to compete against top European talent and the energy of local supporters has made his overseas adventure truly rewarding. 🏓🙌
Reference(s):
China's Fan Zhendong leads Saarbrucken to German Cup title in Europe
cgtn.com
