After winning the men’s singles table tennis gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Fan Zhendong celebrated by imitating French football star Kylian Mbappe’s signature “arms crossed” goal celebration. After completing the “Grand Slam” – winning the event at the World Cup, World Championships and most recently the Olympics – it seemed fitting to emulate the young World Cup winner.

It was part of a series of tribute celebrations by Fan during the singles competition in Paris. Earlier, after beating local favourite Felix Lebrun in the semi-finals, the Portuguese football star imitated Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic “Siu” celebration. After his quarter-final match against Tomokazu Harimoto, Fan’s raised hand gesture resembled that of England footballer Jude Bellingham.

“They inspire me to do my best on the pitch, never give up, always strive to win and dare to win,” Fan explained. “The atmosphere here is like watching football, it’s very exciting. I hope to thank everyone by interacting in this way.”

All three players are past, present and future stars of Fan’s favourite team, Spanish football giants Real Madrid. Fan, who has 3.75 million followers, has a profile picture of himself on his Weibo account wearing a personalised Madrid jersey.

Competitive sports are universal, transcending activities, nationalities and languages. The fan, a dazzling table tennis champion, not only experiences the unique charm of each sport as a professional athlete, but also derives nourishment and energy from them, as well as friendships.

Fan’s Weibo only follows 38 accounts, most of which are sports-related, with the notable exception of her favorite singer, Taylor Swift. Her interests span a wide range of sports.

Before the Paris Olympics began, Fan ran into Spanish tennis players Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz at the Olympic Village and shared a photo with them on Weibo. “The Olympics are so much more than just competition for athletes; it’s a truly world-class stage with excitement in every corner. I love and enjoy the Olympics!” she wrote.

Fan’s friendship with German table tennis star Timo Boll is well known, and football is a shared interest. In May, Fan and Boll watched Borussia Dortmund’s 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain together on a tablet during the WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Slam.

Last year, Boll took Fan to the Borussia Dortmund match during the WTT Champions League Frankfurt match.

Sharing in a vlog that while the atmosphere of football matches is different from table tennis, both are equally exciting, one fan noted that the excitement and cheering in football stadiums complements the intensity and skill of table tennis, providing him with a unique and enriching experience.

He once explained his life beyond competition on Weibo: “On the court, I am a dedicated athlete representing my country and striving for national honor for over a decade. Outside the arena, in my private life, I am an ordinary young man with personal interests and relationships, aiming to be true to myself.”

Following Fan’s men’s singles victory, Real Madrid took to Weibo to extend their congratulations. Fan responded in Spanish: “Thank you, because no one can resist your desire to win!”

Following his superb performance in the semi-finals, he commented on Weibo: “Hasta el Final!” The phrase, meaning “until the end”, was inspired by the giant banner that Madrid fans hung at Wembley Stadium when they won the Champions League in June.

As a devoted football fan, the 27-year-old athlete may have deeply understood the slogan’s message: there are no permanent champions in sports. True success comes from relentless perseverance.

This is something he expands on in his recent documentary More Than a Champion: “People often only see the end result, not the process. By focusing on the daily effort, I can accept any outcome. Loss is an important thing to remember, but it shouldn’t define you.

“After losing in Tokyo, I wasn’t sure about the future or whether I could win the World Table Tennis Championships again. Still, dedication always pays off and I’m now more open-minded than before.”

Fan is now one step closer to completing his journey to Paris, with just one medal left to win.

Along with teammates Ma Long and Wang Chuqin, Fan will be competing to take home team gold against Sweden on Friday.

Fans can only speculate on what kind of celebration Fan has planned and hope that he can make it happen.