Each rally in the table tennis tournament intensifies as both players hit the ball with increasing speed and precision. Eyes darting, sophomore Xianyao He lunges forward, ready to strike the ball at the next pass. In a fraction of a second, Xianyao swings his paddle, sending the ball flying across the table and bouncing off the edge of his opponent’s paddle, securing Xianyao’s win at the semifinals of the US National Championships tournament.
Xianyao’s table tennis journey began when his grandpa introduced the sport to him. Although he lost his first recreational tournament match at age seven, the experience sparked a determination that led him to start playing competitively. Almost three years of practice and tournaments later, Xianyao earned the opportunity to participate in the US National Championships in the category ten and under.
“Table tennis taught me a lot about hard work and perseverance,” Xianyao said. “During a time period [when I wasn’t improving], I managed to win the second greatest national tournament, just because I worked extremely hard in the months leading up to it. There’s probably no one else who worked as hard as me. I had no regrets when I stepped onto the court to play.”
Xianyao is currently placed fifth in the nation for players under sixteen. In 2023 he won first place at the Pan American Youth Championships in the category under fifteen and reached the quarterfinals in doubles at the World League Championships.
Xianyao’s dedication to table tennis constantly inspires those around him. Close friend Varun Kaushik (10) commends the way table tennis has shaped his priorities and interactions.
“What sets him apart from other people is his work ethic in table tennis and his talent to even learn from his friends because he really works hard,” Varun said. “He prioritizes table tennis first and other stuff second. At first, I thought he was super serious and always talking about table tennis. Now, I see Xianyao is more funny and really diverse.”
Xianyao has acquired time management, emotional development, and a myriad of other skills from his experiences in table tennis.
“I learned how to control my emotions in table tennis because I used to become really angry when I lost,” Xianyao said. “It’s also a maturity thing because as I grew older, I learned that if I got mad during the game, it would affect my future performances as well because my mind wouldn’t be in the state of alertness.”
Having played tennis before picking up table tennis, Xianyao noticed vast differences between the two seemingly similar sports. In table tennis, winning a tournament is more important than scoring a couple points. On the contrary, tennis players prioritize each point, which are harder to gain in the slow-paced game.
When playing in a tournament, Xianyao focuses on staying mentally sharp, understanding that success comes from sustaining focus throughout the entire match.
“I always repeat to myself ‘next point’ no matter what happens,” Xianyao said. “Whatever happened at this point, it could be the opponent got a lucky net or an edge. One point lost doesn’t matter as much in table tennis because those are bound to happen. If you want to become really good in table tennis, there’s more nuances in the game that are different from tennis.”
Currently, Xianyao continues working towards his ultimate goal of playing in the prestigious Polish Table Tennis Association, which holds a prominent position in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). He advises beginner table tennis players to embrace new experiences and persist through times when it seems like improvement is stagnant.
“Table tennis isn’t as easy as it looks because if you’re just getting started, you might still be making some shots,” Xianyao said. “Once you get a little better, you realize those shots are not as good as you might think they are. Stay humble and be able to adapt to new situations because that’s how you improve.”