Who is better, Deng or Ma Long?
Ma Long leads with a GOAT score of 97.3 against 91.4 for Deng Yaping — a gap of 5.9 points on GOAT Rank's weighted model.
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Deng vs Ma Long
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Quick answer
GOAT Rank currently ranks Ma Long above Deng Yaping: 97.3 vs 91.4. Ma Long leads on Longevity, Honours, Statistics.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →GOAT verdictgoatrank.world
Ma LongWinner
97.3Ma Long wins: Dominance, Peak, Longevity, Honours, Statistics
Deng
91.4Deng wins: no category outright
Candidates
Locked to Table TennisShareable URL · /compare/deng-yaping-vs-ma-long
Time range
Showing full careers. Pick a window to recalculate the selected period.
Category radar
Verdict
Weighted GOAT score
🇨🇳 Ma Long
97.3
Ma Long leads in 5 of 5 weighted categories.
1. Ma Long
2. Deng Yaping
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
Through age 21 · Form index per season
1. 🇨🇳 Deng Yaping57 titles
6 seasons by age 21 · 9.5 per season
Setting the pace at age 21
2. 🇨🇳 Ma Long7 titles
2 seasons by age 21 · 3.5 per season
Ma Long is -87.7% behind Deng's pace at age 21
Every career is cut at the season the athlete turned 21, so a rookie today is measured against exactly what a legend had banked by the same birthday.
| Metric | DengRetired | Ma LongActive |
|---|---|---|
| Olympic golds | 4 | 6 |
| World titles | 18 | — |
| Years at No. 1 | 8 | — |
| World Cup titles | 2 | 3 |
| Singles world titles | 3 | — |
| Seasons at elite level | 10 | — |
| World singles titles | — | 3 |
| Olympic medals | — | 6 |
| Months at world No. 1 | — | 64 |
| Grand Slam completed | — | 1 |
| Dominance w25% | 97 | 99 |
| Peak w20% | 97 | 99 |
| Longevity w20% | 74 | 92 |
| Honours w20% | 94 | 99 |
| Statistics w15% | 94 | 97 |
Fan vote — data vs the people
GOAT Rank · the data
Ma Long97.3
Deng91.4
FAQ
Where does Deng beat Ma Long?
Deng does not lead any of the five categories; Ma Long is ahead or level on all of them.
How is the Deng vs Ma Long score calculated?
Both are scored on peak, dominance, honours, statistics, longevity within their sport. Deng: 91.4, Ma Long: 97.3.
What do you think?
0 commentsMake your case for Deng vs Ma Long. 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.