Former national table tennis player Zhang Yudong has denied allegations that he insulted world No. 1 Wang Chuqin in a leaked audio recording circulating online. The recording, which surfaced shortly after Zhang defeated Wang on Saturday, purportedly featured disparaging remarks about Wang’s abilities and demeanor.

The incident unfolded during the first leg of the regular season of the China Table Tennis Super League in Dalian. Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group secured an 8-3 victory over Sichuan Fenggu Table Tennis Club, marking their third consecutive win. In the second men’s singles match, Zhang, who returned to competitive play after a four-year retirement, defeated Wang 2-1.

Following the match, an audio clip allegedly captured Zhang commenting that Wang “has no real ability” and referred to him as “pretentious.” The conversation was reportedly between Zhang and teammate Yu Yiyang, with one voice acknowledging Wang’s strength but downplaying his skill, while another criticized Wang’s behavior as insincere and overly showy. Although the audio was somewhat muffled, online analysts identified the participants as Zhang and Yu.

In response, Zhang took to social media to refute the claims, posting a photo of himself at a police station and stating that authorities had registered a complaint regarding the dissemination of false information. He maintained that the remarks in the recording were made during pre-match training and were intended to motivate a younger teammate ahead of their match against Zhou Qihao, not to disparage Wang Chuqin.

Zhang emphasized that none of his comments targeted Wang and said coaches and teammates could verify his account. “I never make excuses; a real man takes responsibility for his actions. If I did it, I would admit it. But I must state once again, the subject of that recording was not Chuqin,” he wrote.

The controversy has drawn attention within the table tennis community amid ongoing competition in the China Table Tennis Super League. Neither Wang Chuqin nor representatives from his club have publicly commented on the matter. Authorities continue to investigate the origins of the audio recording and the allegations of fabricated information online.