The 21-year-old Fan, who had been the world number two since November 2015, claimed the Qatar Open last month to earn enough ranking points to rise to the top.

“It is an amazing feeling to become the world number one, it has always been a big dream of mine,” Fan, the 2017 world championships runner-up, said in a statement.

“I hope I can keep this position for a very long time.”

Boll, who at 36 became the oldest world number one at the start of last month, drops to number two, one place ahead of compatriot Dimitrij Ovtcharov. Fan’s compatriots Xu Xin and Lin Gaoyuan take the fourth and fifth spots respectively.

Reigning world and Olympic champion Ma Long, who slipped down the rankings due to inactivity in 2017, has moved back up to number six after winning last week’s German Open in Bremen.

China’s Chen Meng reclaimed the women’s world number one spot from compatriot Zhu Yuling after reaching the semifinals in Qatar.

Zhu endured a difficult tournament when she was knocked out in the round of 32 by eventual champion Liu Shiwen, who rose from 20th to 10th this month.