Few setbacks are more cruel for an athlete than reaching the peak of their career only to be forced off the world stage by a torn ACL.

For Wu Tongtong, that ordeal came twice.

For the 1.75-meter guard, defined less by physical stature than by resilience, the challenge was not only to return, but to rebuild.

After suffering two ACL tears in consecutive years, including one in a World Cup final, the 31-year-old returned to the court and rebuilt herself into one of the most complete guards of the 2025-26 Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) season, earning both regular-season MVP and leading assists honors.

Setbacks

Just a few years ago, though, Wu's career appeared to be unraveling.

In the final of the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney, Wu, one of China's best-known all-around guards, combining a sturdy frame with reliable shooting range, suffered a devastating ACL tear in her left knee, along with severe meniscus damage.

For many athletes, such an injury can seriously alter — if not permanently end — a career.

After surgery and rehabilitation, she initially responded with optimism. The forced pause, she believed, might offer some balance after years of nonstop competition between national team duty and the WCBA.

"People always have ups and downs," she said. "I could rest, spend time with family, reset and come back."

Her recovery from the first surgery progressed smoothly, reinforcing her belief that a return to form was within reach.

Then came the second blow.

In June 2023, during a training session as she neared a comeback, Wu tore the ACL in her right knee.

"I hadn't even officially returned to the court, and I went down in the same way again," she said. "That made me feel desperate."

Before the injuries, Wu had rarely been sidelined.

Coaches and trainers consistently praised her physical condition. But, after the second tear, uncertainty replaced expectation.

Walking became difficult. Daily life, once effortless, required assistance.

Watching others play from afar, she was forced to confront an unfamiliar identity as an athlete separated from the game.