With badminton players establishing a name in the sport's history, let's take a look at the greatest female badminton players of all time.
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Badminton is a global sport that has seen a substantial rise in popularity over the years. Today, it is practiced professionally and recreationally in countries all over the world. There are a number of reasons owing to the sport’s universal appeal. Firstly, Badminton is relatively simple to understand and play, with minimal equipment requirements – a racket, shuttlecock, and a net. This makes it accessible to people of all age groups and fitness levels, from children playing in their backyards to athletes competing in high-intensity international tournaments.
Since its inclusion in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, the sport has significantly boosted its profile on the global stage. This has propelled badminton players into the spotlight, many of whom are now internationally known figures. With badminton players establishing a name in the sport’s history, let’s take a look at the greatest female badminton players of all time.
Hailing from Japan, Nozomi Okuhara is a significant figure in badminton. Previously ranked world number 1 in BWF rankings for women’s singles, she began her journey with the sport in 2002, before joining Japan’s national team in 2010. A huge milestone in her career was the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she became the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic medal in badminton singles. She was a formidable opponent at the 2017 World Championships, enduring a match with India’s P. V. Sindhu lasted almost two hours, and ended with a narrow victory for Okuhara.
PV Sindhu, from India, cemented her place as one of the country’s most successful athletes. With a collection of medals from competitions such as the Olympics and the BWF circuit, including a gold at the 2019 World Championships, Sindhu holds the unique distinction of being the only Indian to win the badminton world champion title, and only the second individual athlete from India to win two consecutive medals at the Olympics. In addition, she also became the only female athlete from India to win two medals at the stage of the Olympics.
Chinese player Chen Yufei has made a name for herself in the sport, securing the girls’ singles junior titles at the 2016 Asian and the World Junior Championships. She reached the top of the BWF World Ranking as world number 1 in December 2019. Notably, she won the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the women’s singles, following a fiercely contested final against Tai-Tzu Ying. She is a three-time World Championship medalist having won bronze in 2017, and 2019 and silver in 2022.
Akane Yamaguchi is a Japanese player who holds the impressive title of a two-time World Champion, winning gold in the women’s singles at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships. She has played a key role in several team victories, including Japan’s 2017, 2018, and 2020 Asia Team Championships wins.
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying has had an illustrious career, becoming the world’s top player in women’s singles at just 22. She has since held the title for the longest duration in BWF history, a total of 214 weeks. Tai has achieved significant successes in various tournaments, including the 2017 Summer Universiade and the 2018 Asian Games. She claimed the silver medal at the 2020 Olympics after losing to Chen Yufei.
Spanish professional Carolina María Marín Martín, popularly known as Carolina Marin, is an Olympic Champion, three-time World Champion, and six-time European Champion. With a track record of winning a medal in nearly every BWF tournament, Marin has marked her presence in badminton history. After her gold medal win at the 2016 Olympic Games, she had to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to an injury and failed to defend her title.
Li Xuerui, a retired professional from China, had a golden career in badminton. Notably, she won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and secured silver in the 2013 and 2014 World Championships. She reached a career peak as the world’s top player in women’s singles, holding the position for 124 weeks.
Lucia Francisca “Susi” Susanti Haditono is a badminton player in the history of Indonesian badminton history. Her legacy in women’s singles will always remain unmatched, as she became the first Indonesian to win an Olympic gold medal. She achieved this feat in Barcelona, Spain, at the 1992 Olympics and went on to win a bronze medal in Atlanta, United States, in 1996. Dominating the first half of the 1990s, Susanti excelled in numerous tournaments, including the All England Open, World Badminton Grand Prix Finals, and the IBF World Championships. She uniquely holds the record for simultaneously possessing the Olympic, World Championship, and All-England singles titles.
South Korea’s Bang Soo-hyun is a badminton player from the 1990s who showcased her dominance in the world. At the Barcelona Olympics, she outshone the then world champion Tang Jiuhong of China with a definitive victory. Though she lost to Indonesia’s Susanti in the finals, she secured a silver medal. At the Atlanta Olympics, she took the gold in women’s singles, overcoming formidable opponents like Susi Susanti and Mia Audina without losing a single game.
Zhang Ning, a former badminton player from China, holds a unique record of winning the Olympic gold medal twice for women’s singles in 2004 and 2008. Her journey in the international badminton circuit started in the mid-1990s and gained momentum in the early 2000s. Her achievements include winning the World Championship in 2003 and collecting an impressive tally of five medals in the event.
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