| | Event type
Singles, Men
| Date | 14 – 23 August 2004 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Olympiako Gymnastirio Galatsiou, Galatsi | |
| Participants | 64 from 39 countries | |
| Format | Single-elimination tournament. Top 16 seeds advanced to round three. Seeds 17-32 advanced to round two. | |
The top seed was China’s Wang Liqin, who was the 2001 World Champion, and would win again in 2005 and 2007. But in the semis in Athina, he went out to his countryman, Wang Hao. In the final Wang Hao met Korean Ryu Seung-Min, who was seeded third. Wang was favored as he had defeated Ryu six of the seven times they had met, but Wang lost after he failed to convert a match ball in the fifth game. The final went to six games, with Ryu prevailing, the first non-Chinese to win a table tennis gold medal since 1992, and the first in men’s singles since the inaugural Olympic event in 1988, also won by a Korean, Yoo Nam-Kyu. The surprise of the tournament was the 38-year-old Swede, Jan-Ove Waldner. Little was expected of the 1992 gold medalist, but he eliminated the second seed, Ma Lin, and reached the semis, placing fourth.
Round One (14 August 2004 — 14:00-15:30, 20:00-22:00)
Winners advanced to round two.
| Match #1 | Torben Wosik |  GER | 4 – 0 11-4, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 | Mohamed Guèye |  SEN |
| Match #2 | Song Liu |  ARG | 4 – 1 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-4 | Shu Arai |  JPN |
| Match #3 | Sharath Kamal Achanta |  IND | 4 – 1 11-4, 12-10, 11-6, 11-13, 11-7 | Mohamed Boudjadja |  ALG |
| Match #4 | Monday Merotohun |  NGR | 4 – 0 11-5, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 | Momo Babungu |  COD |
| Match #5 | Min Yang |  ITA | 4 – 1 11-5, 11-13, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5 | Đoàn Kiến Quốc |  VIE |
| Match #6 | William Henzell |  AUS | 4 – 1 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 | Khoa Dinh Nguyen |  USA |
| Match #7 | Luis Lin |  DOM | 4 – 1 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-9 | Ryo Yuzawa | JPN |
| Match #8 | Tomasz Krzeszewski |  POL | 4 – 0 12-10, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 | Hugo Hoyama |  BRA |
| Match #9 | Koji Matsushita | JPN | 4 – 0 11-4, 11-6, 11-9, 11-3 | Trevor Brown | AUS |
| Match #10 | Ilija Lupulesku | USA | 4 – 0 11-2, 11-4, 11-5, 11-2 | Juan Papic |  CHI |
| Match #11 | O Il |  PRK | 4 – 0 11-8, 11-8, 11-4, 11-7 | José Luyindula | COD |
| Match #12 | Zhiwen He |  ESP | 4 – 1 11-7, 13-11, 11-4, 11-13, 15-13 | Panagiotis Gkionis |  GRE |
| Match #13 | Thiago Monteiro | BRA | 4 – 1 11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 | Mohamed Reza Akhlagh Pasand |  IRI |
| Match #14 | Segun Toriola | NGR | 4 – 1 12-10, 11-8, 11-13, 11-3, 11-8 | Pablo Tabachnik | ARG |
| Match #15 | Aleksandar Karakašević |  SCG | 4 – 0 11-9, 11-3, 11-3, 11-5 | Khalid Al-Harbi |  KSA |
| Match #16 | Srđan Miličević |  BIH | 4 – 2 10-12, 11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 18-16, 13-11 | Russ Lavale | AUS |
Round Two (15 – 16 August 2004 — 18:00-20:00)
Winners advanced to round three.
| Match #1 | Trinko Keen |  NED | 4 – 3 11-9, 10-12, 7-11, 11-5, 5-11, 13-11, 11-9 | Torben Wosik | GER |
| Match #2 | Song Liu | ARG | 4 – 1 11-4, 11-7, 4-11, 11-2, 14-12 | Slobodan Grujić | SCG |
| Match #3 | Ko Lai Chak |  HKG | 4 – 0 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 | Sharath Kamal Achanta | IND |
| Match #4 | Jörgen Persson |  SWE | 4 – 1 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 | Monday Merotohun | NGR |
| Match #5 | Peter Karlsson | SWE | 4 – 3 11-9, 11-4, 11-8, 9-11, 7-11, 11-13, 11-9 | Min Yang | ITA |
| Match #6 | Chen Weixing |  AUT | 4 – 0 11-7, 11-3, 12-10, 11-6 | William Henzell | AUS |
| Match #7 | Luis Lin | DOM | 4 – 1 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 | Aleksey Smirnov |  RUS |
| Match #8 | Jörg Roßkopf | GER | 4 – 1 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 17-15, 13-11 | Tomasz Krzeszewski | POL |
| Match #9 | Koji Matsushita | JPN | 4 – 0 11-7, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 | Danny Heister | NED |
| Match #10 | Adrian Crișan |  ROU | 4 – 0 11-9, 11-8, 15-13, 11-8 | Ilija Lupulesku | USA |
| Match #11 | Leung Chu Yan | HKG | 4 – 1 11-3, 11-9, 11-13, 11-4, 11-8 | O Il | PRK |
| Match #12 | Lucjan Błaszczyk | POL | 4 – 3 11-5, 10-12, 11-2, 8-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9 | Zhiwen He | ESP |
| Match #13 | Li Ching | HKG | 4 – 1 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 | Thiago Monteiro | BRA |
| Match #14 | Patrick Chila |  FRA | 4 – 2 11-3, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 | Segun Toriola | NGR |
| Match #15 | Aleksandar Karakašević | SCG | 4 – 2 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 | Johnny Huang |  CAN |
| Match #16 | Zoran Primorac |  CRO | 4 – 1 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 | Srđan Miličević | BIH |
Round Three (17 August 2004 — 11:00-13:00, 18:00-20:00)
Winners advanced to round four.
| Match #1 | Wang Liqin |  CHN | 4 – 1 6-11, 11-1, 11-8, 11-4, 11-2 | Trinko Keen | NED |
| Match #2 | Ju Se-Hyeok |  KOR | 4 – 0 14-12, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 | Song Liu | ARG |
| Match #3 | Ko Lai Chak | HKG | 4 – 3 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 2-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 | Petr Korbel |  CZE |
| Match #4 | Jörgen Persson | SWE | 4 – 0 11-5, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 | Kallinikos Kreangka | GRE |
| Match #5 | Chuang Chih-Yuan |  TPE | 4 – 2 16-18, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-8 | Peter Karlsson | SWE |
| Match #6 | Oh Sang-Eun | KOR | 4 – 3 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8, 5-11, 9-11, 11-2 | Chen Weixing | AUT |
| Match #7 | Luis Lin | DOM | 4 – 2 11-5, 11-4, 5-11, 11-13, 18-16, 11-8 | Jean-Michel Saive |  BEL |
| Match #8 | Wang Hao | CHN | 4 – 1 11-5, 12-10, 11-5, 11-13, 11-6 | Jörg Roßkopf | GER |
| Match #9 | Yu Seung-Min | KOR | 4 – 0 11-9, 11-6, 11-6, 11-2 | Koji Matsushita | JPN |
| Match #10 | Chiang Peng-Lung | TPE | 4 – 1 11-9, 11-5, 12-10, 2-11, 11-8 | Adrian Crișan | ROU |
| Match #11 | Leung Chu Yan | HKG | 4 – 1 6-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-8, 11-9 | Michael Maze |  DEN |
| Match #12 | Uladzimir Samsonau |  BLR | 4 – 2 11-5, 5-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9 | Lucjan Błaszczyk | POL |
| Match #13 | Werner Schlager | AUT | 4 – 2 8-11, 11-9, 12-14, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 | Li Ching | HKG |
| Match #14 | Timo Boll | GER | 4 – 1 11-3, 14-16, 11-9, 11-3, 11-9 | Patrick Chila | FRA |
| Match #15 | Jan-Ove Waldner | SWE | 4 – 2 13-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9 | Aleksandar Karakašević | SCG |
| Match #16 | Ma Lin | CHN | 4 – 1 11-5, 11-3, 11-3, 9-11, 11-5 | Zoran Primorac | CRO |
Round Four (18 August 2004)
Winners advanced to the quarter-finals.
| Match #1 | Wang Liqin | CHN | 4 – 1 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 | Ju Se-Hyeok | KOR |
| Match #2 | Ko Lai Chak | HKG | 4 – 1 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 12-10 | Jörgen Persson | SWE |
| Match #3 | Chuang Chih-Yuan | TPE | 4 – 2 12-10, 12-10, 6-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5 | Oh Sang-Eun | KOR |
| Match #4 | Wang Hao | CHN | 4 – 1 11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7 | Luis Lin | DOM |
| Match #5 | Yu Seung-Min | KOR | 4 – 3 11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 8-11, 11-3, 6-11, 11-4 | Chiang Peng-Lung | TPE |
| Match #6 | Leung Chu Yan | HKG | 4 – 3 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8 | Uladzimir Samsonau | BLR |
| Match #7 | Timo Boll | GER | 4 – 3 11-2, 12-14, 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 4-11, 11-6 | Werner Schlager | AUT |
| Match #8 | Jan-Ove Waldner | SWE | 4 – 1 11-9, 12-10, 7-11, 11-5, 11-9 | Ma Lin | CHN |
Quarter-Finals (20 August 2004)
Winners advanced to the semi-finals.
| Match #1 | Wang Liqin | CHN | 4 – 1 11-9, 13-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4 | Ko Lai Chak | HKG |
| Match #2 | Wang Hao | CHN | 4 – 2 5-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 | Chuang Chih-Yuan | TPE |
| Match #3 | Yu Seung-Min | KOR | 4 – 2 6-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5 | Leung Chu Yan | HKG |
| Match #4 | Jan-Ove Waldner | SWE | 4 – 1 11-7, 13-11, 6-11, 11-7, 13-11 | Timo Boll | GER |
Semi-Finals (22 August 2004)
Winners advanced to the final match. Runners-up advanced to bronze medal match.
| Match #1 | Wang Hao | CHN | 4 – 1 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 11-9, 11-3 | Wang Liqin | CHN |
| Match #2 | Yu Seung-Min | KOR | 4 – 1 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 | Jan-Ove Waldner | SWE |
Final Round (23 August 2004)
| Match 1/2 | Yu Seung-Min | KOR | 4 – 2 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9 | Wang Hao | CHN |
| Match 3/4 | Wang Liqin | CHN | 4 – 1 10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 | Jan-Ove Waldner | SWE |