# Ping Pong (荣耀之路)
**Ping Pong** (荣耀乒乓; also known as *Ping Pong Life* and formerly titled *乒乓* and *荣耀之路*, Rongyao Zhilu) is a 2021 Chinese sports drama web series about two young table tennis players whose opposite temperaments carry them from provincial teams to the national squad and, ultimately, opposite ends of the world championship table.[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30263645/?dt_dapp=1) • [2](https://popstar.pixnet.net/article/article-000819-star-p1-069) It was produced by iQIYI with Zhongmeng Media and Wuyuan Culture, directed by [Cheng Hao](https://www.edgepedia.org/cheng-hao) and Li Jia, and stars [Bai Jingting](https://www.edgepedia.org/bai-jingting) as Xu Tan and Timmy Xu (Xu Weizhou) as Yu Kenan.[2](https://popstar.pixnet.net/article/article-000819-star-p1-069) • [3](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/YGZhZWsi) The 44-episode series premiered on iQIYI on 9 March 2021.[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30263645/?dt_dapp=1)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 荣耀乒乓; earlier titles 乒乓 and 荣耀之路; English title Ping Pong[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30263645/?dt_dapp=1) |
| Format | 44 episodes of about 45 minutes each, Mandarin, mainland China[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30263645/?dt_dapp=1) |
| Premiere | 9 March 2021 on iQIYI; finale 14 April 2021[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30263645/?dt_dapp=1) • [4](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s60763e4ce4b0b1bf35a7a9b4.html) |
| Directors and writers | Cheng Hao and Li Jia directing; Li Jia, Ding Yaxin, and Wen Rui writing[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30263645/?dt_dapp=1) |
| Leads | Bai Jingting as Xu Tan; Timmy Xu as Yu Kenan[3](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/YGZhZWsi) |
| Production | iQIYI, Zhongmeng Media, and Wuyuan Culture; shot in Shenzhen from 19 November 2018 to 11 May 2019[2](https://popstar.pixnet.net/article/article-000819-star-p1-069) |
| Ratings | Douban 6.1 from 24,360 ratings; iQIYI platform score 7.3[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30263645/?dt_dapp=1) • [5](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_19rrh2e9rt.html) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and characters
The story is set against the development of Chinese table tennis and follows two players with contrasting paths.[6](https://www.china-glue.com/juqing/13996.html) **Xu Tan**, played by Bai Jingting, is a shy, physically frail boy who takes up table tennis at the urging of a grandfather who loves the sport, initially to build his health. Just as he is about to give up the game, a coach recognizes his potential; through strict technical, physical, and psychological training he becomes the team's most all-around and most trusted player and its captain.[3](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/YGZhZWsi) • [7](https://www.iq.com/album/1gyk5833ix4) The series frames him as a "growth-type" player who rises from the bottom of the rankings.[4](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s60763e4ce4b0b1bf35a7a9b4.html)
**Yu Kenan**, played by Timmy Xu, is the opposite: a gifted, unruly player who learned the game from his father, a former national-team player, and set his sights on a world championship from childhood.[3](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/YGZhZWsi) Despite his talent he refuses a place on the first national team for personal reasons, is forced out of the team, and must work his way back to the top.[7](https://www.iq.com/album/1gyk5833ix4) Xu Weizhou described the character as "flashy, professional, and self-assured," a seeded champion type whose strained relationship with his father and an earlier betrayal by a friend leave him with a temper that is hard to control; his career moves from the provincial team to the national second team and then the first team, with setbacks along the way.[8](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s60758644e4b0b1bf35a7357b.html)
The two meet as teenagers, clash because of their different personalities, and build rapport through shared training and shared punishments; they become rivals and close friends, study tactics together, and finally stand at opposite ends of the deciding table at the world's highest-level tournament, playing for national honor.[2](https://popstar.pixnet.net/article/article-000819-star-p1-069) In the finale, Xu Tan, having climbed from last place to a world title, and Yu Kenan set out together on the road to the Olympics.[9](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_12142235)
## Production
The series was an original work with no underlying novel or IP.[4](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s60763e4ce4b0b1bf35a7a9b4.html) Director Cheng Hao, previously known for the crime web series *Psychological Crime 2* and a basketball specialist in his youth, took the project in 2019.[4](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s60763e4ce4b0b1bf35a7a9b4.html) Head writer Li Jia positioned the show as a "table tennis professional drama"; the writing team spent two years on the script and interviewed a thousand professional players to understand athletes' real lives.[2](https://popstar.pixnet.net/article/article-000819-star-p1-069) • [10](https://www.hxnews.com/news/yl/kdsj/202104/12/1981225.shtml) Cheng Hao said he avoided a "protagonist halo," writing each player as a realistic portrait rather than a heroic legend.[10](https://www.hxnews.com/news/yl/kdsj/202104/12/1981225.shtml)
Filming began in Shenzhen on 19 November 2018 and wrapped on 11 May 2019.[2](https://popstar.pixnet.net/article/article-000819-star-p1-069) The series was filed with China's National Radio and Television Administration as a web series by Hubei Zhongmeng Film Co.[11](https://www.nrta.gov.cn/module/download/downfile.jsp?classid=0&filename=95536a0244a547fdac66720e58ffbb2f.pdf) It was also included in the "100-day broadcast" lineup of key dramas announced by the television drama department of the National Radio and Television Administration for the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.[12](https://www.jiemian.com/article/3394340.html)
**Actor preparation.** Because the actors had to play for real on camera, they underwent systematic training like professional players. Xu Weizhou said training began four to five months before shooting and continued during filming, and that all match play in the series was performed by the actors themselves without doubles; he had played basketball and soccer but knew little about table tennis beforehand, so he also studied videos and documentaries on Chinese table tennis history.[8](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s60758644e4b0b1bf35a7357b.html) • [13](https://www.eight.audio/onecelebrity-%E8%AE%B8%E9%AD%8F%E6%B4%B2%E4%B8%93%E8%AE%BF-20210413/)
## Reception
The series closed on 14 April 2021 with a Douban score of 6.9, which the *Beijing Daily* called a reasonably good result in a domestic market where overall scores were low, noting it was not the first Chinese drama to focus on table tennis.[4](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s60763e4ce4b0b1bf35a7a9b4.html) • [17](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Chasing_Ball) The Douban page later recorded a score of 6.1 from 24,360 ratings, with 32.7 percent of voters giving three stars.[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30263645/?dt_dapp=1) iQIYI's own platform listing shows a 7.3 score.[5](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_19rrh2e9rt.html)
**Critical discussion.** The premiere was accompanied by controversy over professional accuracy, whether competitive sport is pursued for winning or for love, and the plausibility of plot conflicts. Director Cheng Hao responded that the series is a drama, not a documentary, made to convey the never-give-up spirit of the Chinese national team, and that winning and loving the sport are not in conflict.[9](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_12142235) A *China Youth Daily* commentary carried by Sina was more critical, citing fan complaints about unprofessional technique, borrowed plot elements, and lines said to run against sporting ethics; it argued the show fell into the youth-idol-drama template common to Chinese sports series and did not promote table tennis as effectively as hoped, while acknowledging the production's use of former national-team players as technical advisers and end-of-episode animations explaining table tennis basics for newcomers.[14](https://k.sina.cn/article_1726918143_66eeadff020014mq3.html)
The *Beijing Daily* account credits the show with choosing the youth-drama route over a strictly professional sports route, folding sporting spirit into the players' personal growth: two very different young players climb from the provincial team into the national team and grow into the strongest of partners.[4](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s60763e4ce4b0b1bf35a7a9b4.html)
## Distribution
The series streams on iQIYI, which holds the original run, with all 44 episodes available and subtitles in Arabic, English, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese on its international service.[5](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_19rrh2e9rt.html) • [7](https://www.iq.com/album/1gyk5833ix4) • [15](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/ping-pong-2021) In the United Kingdom it is available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, or as a download purchase on Amazon Video, with no free streaming options listed as of the most recent check.[16](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/ping-pong)
## References
1. [荣耀乒乓 (2021), Douban](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30263645/?dt_dapp=1)
2. [《榮耀乒乓》分集劇情+心得分享, PIXNET 明星專區 (9 March 2021)](https://popstar.pixnet.net/article/article-000819-star-p1-069)
3. [荣耀乒乓剧情介绍（1-44全集）大结局, 电视猫](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/YGZhZWsi)
4. [《荣耀乒乓》豆瓣6.9分收官，青春热血成功融入体育题材, 北京日报客户端 (14 April 2021)](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s60763e4ce4b0b1bf35a7a9b4.html)
5. [荣耀乒乓-电视剧-全集高清正版视频在线观看, 爱奇艺](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_19rrh2e9rt.html)
6. [荣耀之路剧情介绍, 丫丫影视](https://www.china-glue.com/juqing/13996.html)
7. [荣耀乒乓 (2021) 全集 带字幕, iQIYI International](https://www.iq.com/album/1gyk5833ix4)
8. [视频专访｜许魏洲：演出心中的乒乓冠军于克南, 北京日报客户端 (13 April 2021)](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s60758644e4b0b1bf35a7357b.html)
9. [《荣耀乒乓》：体育竞技类剧集破一道口, 澎湃新闻·壹娱观察 (14 April 2021)](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_12142235)
10. [荣耀乒乓中莫指的原型是谁, 海峡网 (12 April 2021)](https://www.hxnews.com/news/yl/kdsj/202104/12/1981225.shtml)
11. [国家广播电视总局网络剧备案公示表, NRTA](https://www.nrta.gov.cn/module/download/downfile.jsp?classid=0&filename=95536a0244a547fdac66720e58ffbb2f.pdf)
12. [86部献礼剧百日展播, 界面新闻](https://www.jiemian.com/article/3394340.html)
13. [《荣耀乒乓》专访：许魏洲, Eight无限 (13 April 2021)](https://www.eight.audio/onecelebrity-%E8%AE%B8%E9%AD%8F%E6%B4%B2%E4%B8%93%E8%AE%BF-20210413/)
14. [《荣耀乒乓》：热血体育竞技难逃偶像剧模板, 中国青年报 via 新浪](https://k.sina.cn/article_1726918143_66eeadff020014mq3.html)
15. [Ping Pong (2021) streaming, JustWatch US](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/ping-pong-2021)
16. [Ping Pong streaming, JustWatch UK](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/ping-pong)
17. [Chasing Ball - DramaWiki](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Chasing_Ball)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles My to So*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license