Who is better, Cai or Ma Lin?
Ma Lin leads with a GOAT score of 86.4 against 86.3 for Cai Zhenhua — a gap of 0.1 points on GOAT Rank's weighted model.
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Cai vs Ma Lin
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Quick answer
GOAT Rank currently ranks Ma Lin above Cai Zhenhua: 86.4 vs 86.3. Ma Lin leads on Longevity. Cai Zhenhua leads on Honours, Statistics.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →GOAT verdictgoatrank.world
Ma LinWinner
86.4Ma Lin wins: Longevity
Cai
86.3Cai wins: Honours, Statistics
Candidates
Locked to Table TennisShareable URL · /compare/cai-zhenhua-vs-ma-lin
Time range
Showing full careers. Pick a window to recalculate the selected period.
Category radar
Verdict
Weighted GOAT score
🇨🇳 Ma Lin
86.4
Ma Lin leads in 3 of 5 weighted categories.
1. Ma Lin
2. Cai Zhenhua
Category breakdown
Season form · Form index per season
Career timeline · Form index per season
Cumulative output season by season — the shape of each career against the other.
GOAT pace tracker
Career stage · GOAT pace
Through season 5 · Form index per season1. 🇨🇳 Cai Zhenhua5 seasons played · career day 1,825368 titles
Setting the pace at this stage
2. 🇨🇳 Ma Lin5 seasons played · career day 2,19016 titles
-95.7% vs Cai at the same stage
| Ghost race · career day | 30 | 100 | 365 | 1000 | 1825 | 3650 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 Cai | 0 | 0 | 50 | 112 | 368 | 653 |
| 🇨🇳 Ma Lin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 29 |
Careers are aligned from debut; the first 5 season periods are measured against the same career window.
| Metric | CaiRetired | Ma LinRetired |
|---|---|---|
| World team titles | 4 | — |
| World doubles titles | 2 | — |
| World Cup medals | 2 | — |
| Asian Championship titles | 3 | — |
| World Championship medals | 8 | — |
| Olympic golds | — | 3 |
| World Cup titles | — | 4 |
| World Championship team golds | — | 5 |
| Olympic singles titles | — | 1 |
| Career ranking weeks at No. 1 | — | 30 |
| Dominance w25% | 86 | 86 |
| Peak w20% | 92 | 92 |
| Longevity w20% | 76 | 80 |
| Honours w20% | 90 | 88 |
| Statistics w15% | 88 | 86 |
Fan vote — data vs the people
GOAT Rank · the data
Ma Lin86.4
Cai86.3
FAQ
Where does Cai beat Ma Lin?
Cai scores higher on honours, statistics. Ma Lin leads on longevity.
How is the Cai vs Ma Lin score calculated?
Both are scored on peak, dominance, honours, statistics, longevity within their sport. Cai: 86.3, Ma Lin: 86.4.
What do you think?
0 commentsMake your case for Cai vs Ma Lin. The scoring is published in full — if you can point at the pillar or the weight you disagree with, we read it. Read the methodology paper.