On December 28, Chen Qi—former Chinese national table tennis player and current coach of the Jiangsu provincial team—revealed on social media that he had been threatened by a fan. Disturbed by the message, he lamented that some people have become “unhinged to this extent.” Many supporters quickly urged him to report the incident to the police.
Chen Qi posted a screenshot of a direct message sent to him on the platform. The sender, using the username “云中龙行,” wrote: “Chen Qi, you’re in trouble. Someone is going to kill your whole family.” The message contained no explanation or follow-up, which only intensified the sense of confusion and alarm.
Clearly angered, Chen Qi responded publicly: “What’s going on with people now? Is this what DMs have come to? This is unbelievably unhinged.” In the comments, many fans advised him to contact law enforcement. Chen replied: “I’ll try.”
In recent days, Chen Qi had appeared in a very different light online. During the Table Tennis Super League finals, he was seen dining with players including Wang Chuqin and Liang Jingkun and shared photos from the gathering. Earlier this month, he also posted about attending a car-owner meet-up for a brand event and taking his child hiking at Niushou Mountain.
During his playing career, Chen Qi partnered with Ma Lin at the 2004 Athens Olympics and won the men’s doubles gold medal. Across his career, he captured 21 world titles. Known for his fierce on-court presence and explosive forehand, he earned the nickname “The Killer.” In 2006, after losing a match, he famously lost control of his emotions and was reportedly disciplined by being sent to the countryside for a week.
Chen Qi retired in 2014 and later served as a coach for the national team. In 2022, he stepped away from the national coaching staff and returned to Jiangsu, taking on the role of head coach. Just last month, he led his team in National Games-related competition.
In July 2025, Chen Qi drew widespread attention again after posting a strongly worded critique of toxic “fan-circle” culture, sparking heated public discussion.
