China badminton players have always been at the top. Still, after Olympic Games champion Chen Long retired, it marked an end of a golden era of Chinese badminton stars in the men’s singles event.
No China Players In The Top 10 After Chen Long Retires
This month, Chen Long’s name was removed from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranking list. This is the first time there are no Chinese players in the top 10 standings. The only Chinese players in the top 50 include Zhao Junpeng, Lu Guangzu, Shi Yu Qi, and Li Shifeng. Yuqi was served an internal ban and only made a comeback at this year’s World Championships.
Chen Long has won many titles but has always been overshadowed by Lin Dan since he joined the national team in 2008. He still won many matches using his own way and played a key role in China’s Thomas Cup victories.
Chen Long wanted to compete in his last tournament at the Asian Games, but the game was deferred to next year. Since he is retiring, China will let other new-generation players participate in Denmark Open. Unfortunately, none are seeded and grouped in the lower half draw.