(by Steve Hopkins)
Butterfly has signed Wang Manyu of China, and the timing couldn’t be better. Butterfly players are at the top of both the Men’s and Women’s World Rankings, with Wang Manyu as Women’s No. 1 and Sora Matsushima as Men’s No. 1. Butterfly announced the Wang Manyu partnership earlier this week. Wang (born 1999) joined China’s National Team in 2016, won the World Championship in Women’s Singles in 2021, and reached World No. 1 for the first time in Week 38 of this year. Her equipment will look familiar to Butterfly fans: a Fan Zhendong ALC blade with Dignics 09C. “I’m very happy to officially partner with Butterfly,” Wang said, adding that she looks forward to “taking on every new challenge ahead.”
Wang’s hold on the top spot has not been simple. She first reached No. 1 in September, then slipped back to No. 2. She won the China Smash to reach No. 1 again, and she is currently ahead of Sun Yingsha by about 700 points. Wang has been solid, and it is clear she is the player the rest of the world is chasing on the Women’s side.
On the Men’s side, Matsushima’s climb has been just as dramatic. When the 19-year-old passed reigning World Champion Wang Chuqin, he became the first non-Chinese World No. 1 since Timo Boll in 2018. He beat Wen Ruibo in the deciding match as Japan ended China’s long run of Asian Games team golds. Then he won China Smash with a 4-3 thriller over Lin Yun-Ju. Felix Lebrun, Tomokazu Harimoto, Truls Moregard and Wang Chuqin are close behind, so like the Women’s Rankings, the top spot isn’t safe. For now, though, the two best players in the world both play with Butterfly.
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