Escaping Toxic Fandom

In China, though, Fan has long been troubled by the consequences of toxic fandom, ranging from invasions of his privacy and online harassment from other players' fans, to disruptions during matches.

In a July interview with Phoenix TV, Fan revealed he felt "extremely unsafe" after a stranger broke into his hotel room in 2023 while he was out. He and his family have repeatedly received messages of harassment and verbal abuse.

There was a point when even the sound of a camera shutter during a match made him want to flee. "I felt easily overwhelmed and just wanted to return to my room, to a place where I felt safe," he recalled.

To protect Fan from excessive interference, Saarbrucken has kept his whereabouts confidential — even changing the team hotel at the last minute.

"Sports should not be reduced to a battlefield for fans. It belongs to love, passion, persistence and unity," said Fan, who enjoys watching soccer, snooker, tennis and baseball.

He endured a 329-day title drought until June 3, 2024, when he won the WTT Champions Chongqing under intense pressure.

His renewed strength came from his love of sports.

On the night before the quarterfinals on June 2, he couldn't sleep. Instead, he watched Real Madrid beat Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League final.

"It was Toni Kroos' last match for Madrid. Seeing him receive a standing ovation as he thanked the crowd filled me with energy," Fan recalled.

He reflected on the farewells of Madrid heroes Kroos and Luka Modric: "When a great player's career reaches its end, fans from all teams stand and applaud, thanking them for their contributions and the memories they've given us. That applause also carries good wishes for their future. This kind of emotion transcends winning or losing. That's the true power of sports."

"The charm of competitive sports lies not only in the outcome, but also in the dramatic process and the intertwining of collective emotions," he wrote in a Sept 22 Weibo post after watching his first live Premier League match at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in London.

After his imperious display away to TSV Bad Konigshofen on Sept 6, as Fan's final match of the day concluded, the entire audience rose to their feet, chanting his name.

He turned back, waving and applauding toward the stands, acknowledging the support with look of genuine ease and happiness.