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Ira Gorawara

Meredith Chen

Chinese sensation Fan Zhendong has captivated not only table tennis enthusiasts but also the massive fan base of American pop star Taylor Swift.
After Fan romped France’s Felix Lebrun to advance to the men’s singles final in Paris, internet users began superimposing Fan’s face on Swift posters and stickers to rally support for the table tennis stand-out.
Fan, a self-proclaimed Swiftie, has openly expressed his admiration for the musical legend.
“Music is universal. Great musicians like Taylor Swift bring us healing power and confidence. I hope everyone can feel the charm from her,” he said.
The intersection of sports and pop culture hit a high note when Fan edged Japan’s Harimoto Tomokazu 4-3 in a gruelling quarter-final on August 1 – a date serendipitously aligning with Swift’s hit song “August”.

Fans latched onto the coincidence, humorously attributing the win to Swift’s influence.
“Fan, did you also share Taylor Swift’s ‘August’ on your social media [before the game] with the caption ‘August, please be kind to me’?” one wrote on Weibo.
A tag that read “I am Taylor Swift, and I am cheering for Fan Zhendong”, gained over 85 million views.
This isn’t the first time Fan’s love for Swift overlapped with his athletic career.
In March, Fan faced an upset by 18-year-old compatriot Lin Shidong in the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash’s round of 32.
Many linked his defeat to attending Swift’s Singapore concert just days before the tournament, suggesting he was distracted and hadn’t trained sufficiently.
“Spending all day researching Taylor Swift’s concerts leaves no time to focus on studying sports,” one commented.
But Fan quickly defended himself on Weibo.

🇨🇳｜Chinese table tennis player and Olympic champion, Fan Zhendong, went to #SingaporeTSTheErasTour and crossed the bridge of Cruel Summer. pic.twitter.com/LkgVg98Eup
— 🇨🇳🤍Taylor Swift China (@tayswiftchina) March 9, 2024

“I am an athlete cultivated by my country. It’s my duty to fight for the country and I’ve never slacked on this for more than 10 years,” Fan said.
“In my free time, I am just an ordinary young man. I have normal hobbies and I have my social network. I will continue to be true to my heart under the premise of following the law and the rules.”
Videos of Fan at The Eras Tour showcase him transforming into an ‘Enchanted’ fan, belting out Swift’s songs.
His version of hit song “Cruel Summer” attracted 4.8m views on Weibo, while his nearly five-minute-long concert vlog was seen 11.27m times.
In a video on X, Fan introduced his “outfit of the day” that included a “reputation” cap – the name of one of Swift’s leading hits – friendship bracelets that “Swifties” often trade with one another, and a Swift T-shirt that read “A LOT GOING ON AT THE MOMENT”.


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Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Paris Olympics: Fan Zhendong conquers ‘Swifties’ due to admiration for Taylor Swift

Fan Zhendong, a self-proclaimed Taylor Swift fan, is one match away from winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Xinhua

Fan Zhendong on a “Champions Tour” poster, a version of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” poster. Photo: Weibo

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Xie Zhenye will lead China’s 4x100m relay team as they aim for a podium finish in Paris. Photo: Xinhua

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Zheng Qinwen is the first Asian-born player to reach an Olympic singles final. Photo: Xinhua

Djokovic was ‘relieved and emotional’ after overcoming Lorenzo Musetti to reach the Olympic final. Photo: EPA-EFE

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China’s bronze medallist Wang Shun (right) shares a selfie with Leon Marchand (centre), who won gold and Great Britain’s Duncan Scott (left). Photo: Xinhua

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There was no love lost between the France and Argentina players during the Paris Olympics quarter-final clash. Photo: Reuters

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Singapore’s Shanti Pereira is overcome after winning 200m gold at the Asian Games in 2023. Photo: AP

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American sprinter Allyson Felix offered advice on how to adjust to life as an athlete. Photo: AFP

Sport

Paris Olympics 2024

China

Table Tennis

The Buzz

Internet superimposed Fan’s face on Swift’s posters and stickers to rally support for the table tennis stand-out


After Fan romped France’s Felix Lebrun to advance to the men’s singles final in Paris, internet users began superimposing Fan’s face on Swift’s posters and stickers to rally support for the table tennis stand-out.


Taylor Swift