| Joo Sae-hyuk | |
| Equipment: | Blade: Butterfly Joo Saehyuk Forehand: Tenergy 64 RED Backhand: TSP curl p1r |
| Playingstyle: | Shakehand grip |
| Hrank: | 5 (March 2012)[1] |
| Crank: | 13 (February 2017) |
| Birth Date: | 20 January 1980 |
| Birth Place: | Seoul, South Korea |
| Height: | 1.80 m |
| Weight: | 68 kg |
Joo Sae-hyuk (pronounced as /ko/; born 20 January 1980) is a South Korean table tennis player. As a singles player, he was a silver medalist at the 2003 World Table Tennis Championships, a bronze medalist at the 2011 Table Tennis World Cup, and a bronze medalist at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games.[2] In the team event, as a member of the South Korean National Team, he was a silver medalist in the 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 Asian Games; the 2006 and 2008 World Championships; and the 2012 Summer Olympics.[3]
Joo Sae-hyuk was born in Seoul, South Korea on January 20, 1980.[4] He stands 180 cm tall, and weighs 68 kg.[5] He first started competing when he was 8 years old. He joined the national team in 2001, and fans began taking an interest in him for his dynamic defensive style.
Between April and May 2012, Joo Sae-hyuk was diagnosed with Behçet's disease, Although Behcet's disease is known to be incurable, it appears that Joo Sae-hyuk is still performing well. On the medical side, Joo Sae-hyuk relies on glucocorticoids to manage his disease.
Joo Sae-hyuk has helped revive the popularity of the defensive style at the professional level.[6] He is one of the few top-ranked players in the world (position 5 in 2012)[7] to play a primarily defensive style, repeatedly returning the ball with heavy backspin on both wings.[8] This has led many to dub him the best defensive player of all time.[8] At the same time, he has a powerful topspin forehand that he uses to counterattack when the opportunity may arise.[8] As with many defenders, his long rallies and entertaining style of play have made him a fan favourite. He is one of several foreign players in recent years to challenge China's dominance over the sport.[6] Despite his age, he is still going strong on the tour.
Since June 2003, the International Table Tennis Federation has consistently ranked Joo Sae-hyuk as one of the 40 best table tennis players in the world after he defeated Ma Lin. Since July 2006, he has been consistently ranked in the ITTF's top 20. His peak rating was at #5, in March 2012.[9]