China's table tennis icon Fan Zhendong on Sunday responded to a World Table Tennis (WTT) statement regarding his and Chen Meng's withdrawal from the world rankings, stating that he had never been officially informed about fines for not participating in events.

Fan Zhendong of China competes during the Men's Singles Gold Medal Match of Table Tennis at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

Olympic champions Fan and Chen both announced their withdrawal from the world rankings on Friday, saying that they could not accept new WTT rules imposing fines on players for not participating in events.

In a statement released on Saturday, WTT clarified that the rules mentioned by Fan and Chen were not newly introduced, adding that these regulations, including automatic entry for top-ranked players, had been in place ever since WTT's founding four years ago.

"The intent of these rules is to ensure that top-tier players are represented at key WTT events, preserving the integrity of global competition and delivering the highest quality events for players, fans, and all partners," read the statement.

"Penalties for withdrawals, except in cases of verified medical reasons, are also enforced to uphold the competitive balance, ensure consistency and maintain fairness for all participants."

Fan responded on social media on Sunday morning, stating that he was unsure when the fines for withdrawals were first introduced, but emphasizing that he had never been officially informed of such penalties.

"I received the official notice just last week, explaining that WTT would strictly enforce these new penalty rules starting next year. I received the document on Monday and signed it the same day," he wrote.

The WTT statement also mentioned that the organization's 2025 handbook features several key updates, including a 20 percent increase in the prize pool, with more funds allocated to the final rounds, and higher fines for players who withdraw from WTT events but compete in non-WTT events during the same week. The full 2025 calendar has been published in advance.