[2] Having found huge success in mixed doubles with Zhao, Zhang partnered Fu Haifeng with whom he won gold in 2016 Summer Olympics.

Zhang and Zhao won the Japan Open title, beating compatriots Tao Jiaming and Tian Qing in the final, 21–19, 22–20.

In the men's doubles, South Korea's Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae emerged as the winners as they downed Zhang and Chai in straight sets, 21–15 and 21–12.

Seeded fifth, he and Zhao reached the final but lost in a long three-set match against Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark 20–22, 21–14, and 20–22.

[3] At the 2016 Olympics, Zhang and Zhao, the defending champions in the mixed doubles event, lost in the semi-final, but successfully clinched a bronze medal after winning a rematch of the last edition's final, beating Xu Chen and Ma Jin in straight games again.

On the other hand, Zhang won the gold medal with Fu Haifeng in the men's doubles event, beating Malaysians Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong in a tightly-fought match, 16–21, 21–11, 23–21.

[4] Zhang won the World Championships in the men's doubles event with Liu Cheng, defeating Indonesians Mohammad Ahsan and Rian Agung Saputro in the final, 21–10, 21–17 to win the gold medal.

[7] Zhang made his return to the international badminton circuit as an independent player by participating in the men's and mixed doubles events in the 2023 Ruichang China Masters.