SINGAPORE – Five Olympic gold medals, 13 world championship wins, five Asian Games titles and counting.

At the age of 34, table tennis’ most decorated player Ma Long is still holding his own at world No. 2.

But after 20 years of chasing gold, he admits that he is less obsessed with winning titles now, even as he eyes an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic singles gold at Paris 2024.

Ahead of the Singapore Smash event, which starts at the OCBC Arena on Saturday, he explained that the change in his attitude comes with age and success.

Speaking in Mandarin, he said: “When I was younger, I would be really hopeful and really desire the titles before matches.

“I placed a lot of pressure on myself. Of course as a professional athlete, you give your all during the match, but I’ve learnt not to place undue pressure on myself.

“Sometimes, when you obsess too much about winning, it can give you positive motivation. But it can also be a burden that constricts your performance.

“Results are important, but... at this age, such a burden is tiring and I try to focus on the journey (instead).”

His family is also the focus as Ma makes it a point to spend more time with them. The fiercely private player had previously revealed that he has a six-year-old son.

He said: “Whether it’s my parents, wife or in-laws, they’ve managed our family well and I can focus on my sporting career. Their support is really reassuring and grounding for me.

“At times when I’m really tired or when I’ve not done too well in my matches, I will play with my family. They provide me with a balance and serenity that you won’t achieve when you’re alone or with friends.”

During the interview, Ma was relaxed and jovial as he reflected candidly on his decades-long career.

While he had success in team events at the world level, and singles titles in Asia, it was only in 2015 in Suzhou that he finally won his first singles world title.

He said: “The 2015 world championships have a deep impression on me because that was a breakthrough in my career.

“I was 27 and I wouldn’t say my career was the most successful then until that title.

“If I didn’t win the title, I may not be who I am today and I may not have persevered till today.”

A year later, the Liaoning native had another breakthrough. He beat compatriot Zhang Jike in the Rio Olympics final, after staging a great comeback against South Korean Jeoung Young-sik in the fourth round.

These milestones are important to him as they shaped him into the person he is today.

While he is not thinking beyond Paris 2024, he is focused on improving himself as competition heats up within the Chinese team, with younger ones like world No. 1 Fan Zhendong giving “older athletes something to fight for”.

He added: “In sports, it’s not just about winning and losing. You must be able to find your own joy and happiness in the sport you are pursuing. It’s also a good way to train one in learning how to get back up after experiencing failures.”

Who to watch at Singapore Smash (Round 1)

Men’s singles
Fan Zhendong (Chn) v Anton Kallberg (Swe)
Ma Long (Chn) v Benedikt Duda (Ger)
Clarence Chew (Sgp) v Kilian Ort (Ger)
Xiang Peng (Chn) v Tomokazu Harimoto (Jpn)
Lin Shidong (Chn) v Kristian Karlsson (Swe)
Mattias Falck (Swe) v Patrick Franziska (Ger)
Nicholas Lam (Aus) v Koen Pang (Sgp)
Izaac Quek (Sgp) v Sharath Kamal Achanta (Ind)

Women’s singles
Sun Yingsha (Chn) v Liu Hsing-Yin (Tpe)
Zeng Jian (Sgp) v Yuan Jia Nan (Fra)
Kasumi Ishikawa (Jpn) v Bruna Takahashi (Bra)
Mima Ito (Jpn) v Lily Zhang (USA)
Wang Yidi (Chn) v Bernadette Szocs (Rou)
Zhou Jingyi (Sgp) v Miyuu Kihara (Jpn)
Goi Rui Xuan (Sgp) v Dina Meshref (Egy)
Wong Xin Ru (Sgp) v Georgina Pota (Hun)