张怡宁5岁开始打球，1991年进入省队，1993年进入国家队，已经取代王楠成为中国女子乒乓球的领军人物。2004年雅典奥运会首夺女子双打（与王楠）冠军，并夺得女单冠军。2005年夺得第48届世乒赛女单冠军，实现世锦赛、奥运会和世界杯的大满贯。2008年北京奥运会上，她再次同队友一道夺取女子团体冠军，并成功卫冕女单冠军。2011年3月底，张怡宁首次承认退役，自此，中国乒乓球的张怡宁时代正式结束。
At the age of 5 Zhang Yining began to play, in 1991 entered the provincial team, entered the national team in 1993, has replaced Wang Nan as the Chinese female pingpong leader. The 2004 Athens Olympic Games first won the women's doubles ( with Wang Nan) champion, and won the women's singles champion. Won the 2005 forty-eighth World Table Tennis Championships women's singles champion, achieving world championships, the Olympic Games and World Cup Grand slam. The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, she again with a teammate win the women's team championship, and successfully defending singles champion. At the end of 2011 3, Zhang Yining admitted for the first time since retirement,, Chinese table tennis of the Zhang Yining era officially ended.
