What a ping pong! China’s world number one ranked table tennis player’s racket is broken by an excited cameraman… before the star player uses a substitute to lose against an opponent he has never beaten before

The Chinese table tennis superstar was visibly shaken after seeing his prized possession destroyed by an over-excited photographer in Paris.

Wang Chuqin won the mixed doubles title on Tuesday and celebrated her first Olympic gold medal with teammate Sun Yingsha.

But his joy quickly turned to disbelief when he realized his paddle, which is crucial in team and individual competitions, had been destroyed by a snapper.

Wang became emotional over the incident and asked for an explanation while his coach tried to keep him calm by hugging and comforting him.

“They didn’t do it on purpose. It’s happened now, so there’s not much I can do. I’ll try to play well with the spare paddle,” a distraught Wang said. “Maybe this is my fate.”

Wang then returned to the men’s singles on Wednesday but the world number one suffered an unbelievable defeat to Sweden’s Truls Molegaard, exiting in the round of 32.

This was Molegaard’s second victory over a Chinese player in an international competition.

However, Wang insisted that his loss was not due to the paddle incident.

Wang Chuqin was heartbroken after her table tennis racket broke

While the world’s number one ranked player was celebrating his gold medal, a cameraman broke his paddle.

The devastated Chinese star then lost his singles match to Sweden’s Truls Molegaard.

“I think the main reason was my poor performance, which gave Molegaard a chance. I made a lot of mistakes and gradually put myself at a disadvantage,” Wang said.

But his journey in Paris isn’t over yet, as he will later compete for China in the team event.

Moregard was seen celebrating his shock victory by shouting to the crowd and dancing on the floor.

“I’ve hardly ever won a set against Wang, so it’s great to win here. I thought I played really smart in the tactical match and I didn’t think he was at his best early on,” Molegaard said.