The 10 Best Badminton Players of All-Time
10 of the Greatest Badminton Players Ever
Badminton is the second most popular sport after football, played by approximately 220 million people every year!
Malaysian badminton player Lee Chong Wei
Many legends have risen in the sport of badminton over the years, including incredible players from China, India and Europe.
In this article, we discuss the top 10 badminton players of all-time.
1. Lin Dan (China)
Lin Dan is a Chinese professional badminton player who is considered an incredible singles player.
He was born on 14 October 1983 in Longyan, China, to parents Gao Xiuyu and Lin Jainbin.
He began his career in this sport at 18, when he started playing for China’s national team.
Lin Dan took his training from Xia Xuan Ze, a former badminton player currently working as a coach and training the national badminton team in China.
Lin Dan is a 2-time Olympic champion, 5-time World Champion and 6-time All-England Champion. He is the first and only player to win this feat!
He’s won 66 titles in singles to date, which includes 15 BWF Super Series titles, 5 BWF Excellent Series Premier titles and 1 BWF Fantastic Series Finals title.
This Chinese superstar is currently ranked 20th in the BWF ranking. Overall, he holds a record of 666 wins and 131 titles.
The net worth of this top player is around $30 million, though his actual remuneration is still unclear.
2. Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia)
Lee Chong Wei is a world-class Malaysian badminton player born in a Malaysian-Chinese family in Bagan Serai, Malaysia, to parents Lee Ah Chai and Khor Kim Choi.
Badminton is a very popular sport in Malaysia, and Lee Chong Wei began his career at the young age of 11.
It was his father who motivated him to first start playing badminton.
Lee took his training from Misbun Sidek, a former Malaysian badminton player who is currently the Malaysia National Junior Badminton team director.
For many years, Lee Chong Wei earned the title of “Datuk” through his heroics at the top of the game.
Lee Chong Wei is the only Malaysian player with a number 1 ranking for more than 1 year.
He has won many titles and championships, including 3 silver medals at the Olympics, 5 BWF Championships and 5 gold medals in the Commonwealth Games.
He has also won silver medals in World Championships and the Thomas cup.
Lee Chong Wei wrote an autobiography, “Dare to Be Champion,” which became a best-seller in Malaysia.
The net worth of this world-class badminton player is about $16 million and he has earned $1.85 million (USD) throughout his career.
3. Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia)
Taufik Hidayat is a retired Indonesian badminton player known as the closest rival to the dominating world champion, Lin Dan.
He was born on 10 August 1981 in Bandung, Indonesia.
He is well-known for his smooth footwork, deceptive net play, forehand jump and drop shots.
Taufik began his career in this sport at the very young age of 9, making his international debut in 1996. He took his training from Mulyo Handoyo, a top Indonesian badminton coach.
He has won 27 titles in his career, holding the record for performing the fastest smash at a singles competition in badminton history.
Taufik retired from this sport in 2012, after which he established a training centre, Taufik Hidayat Arena, where people learn and play badminton.
Yonex has even launched a racket in the name of Taufik Hidayat, called Arcsaber Z Slash. This signifies the player’s fighting spirit on the court.
4. Peter Hoeg Gade (Denmark)
Peter Hoeg Gade is a famous Danish badminton player born on 14 December 1976 in Aalborg, Denmark.
He is well-known for his brilliant footwork, pace, aggression and court coverage.
Peter Gade began his career in this sport in 1994, taking retirement in 2012 after losing in the quarter-finals of the French Opens.
He was ranked as the World No. 1 player from 1998 until 2001, and he is considered the most technically gifted player of his era.
He won many titles and championships, including the All England Open Badminton Championship in 1999, 5 European Championships and 22 Grand Prix titles.
After his retirement in 2018, he founded the Peter Gade Academy to train upcoming talent.
5. Saina Nehwal (India)
Saina Nehwal is one of the most talented and famous Indian badminton players.
She was born on 17 March 1990 in Hisar, Haryana to parents Usha Rani Nehwal and Harvir Singh Nehwal.
Her parents were also badminton players. Her mother was a Haryana state player, whereas her father was a university-level badminton player.
Saina Nehwal is the first Indian badminton player to win a medal at the Olympics and the BWF series. She also won a gold medal in Commonwealth Games, held in 2010.
She began her international journey in 2006, after which she made history by winning the Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament twice. She was the first player to win this feat.
She has also won 24 titles and been awarded many national awards, such as the Arjun award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan award.
6. Kento Momota (Japan)
Kento Momota is a Japanese badminton player known for his outstanding skills and relentless playing style on the court.
He was born on 1 September 1994 in Mino, Japan, to father Nobuhiro Momota. However, his mother has always remained a mystery to the public.
He has an older sister, Meiko, who was his primary caregiver.
Momota started playing badminton in second grade and joined the Japanese national team in 2011. Today he is ranked as World No. 1 singles player.
He has won many titles and championships, including 2 World Championships, 2 Asian Championships and 1 All-England title.
Momota also entered the Guinness Book of World Records for “The most badminton men’s singles titles in a season” for his achievements, winning 11 titles in the 2019 season.
7. Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Viktor Axelsen is a professional Danish badminton player. He was born on 4 January 1994 in Odense, Denmark.
Axelsen began his journey at age 6 after his parents were divorced, and at the age of 17, he joined the national team.
After this, he won the National Junior Event in singles and doubles in 2006 and 2008.
Later in 2009, he began his international journey. And today, with his effort and success, he has put Denmark on the map in the realm of badminton tournaments.
He is a 3-time European Champion, winning a bronze medal in the Olympics, a gold and a bronze medal in BWF World Championship, a bronze in the Sudirman cup, 1 gold and 4 bronze medals in the Thomas cup.
8. Chen Long (China)
Chen Long is a Chinese professional badminton player. He was born on 18 January 1989 in Shashi District, Hubei.
He was the former World No. 1, occupying the top men’s singles ranking for 76 consecutive weeks from December 2014 to June 2016.
Chen Long began his international journey in 2007 when he played and won the Asian and World Junior Championship.
In 2009, he played and won his first professional tournament in the Philippines Open.
He has also won many titles and achievements, including:
1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal at the Olympics
2 gold and 2 bronze medals in the World Championships
5 gold medals and 1 silver medal in the Sudirman cup
3 gold and 1 bronze medal in the Thomas cup
2 gold and 2 silver medals in Asian Games
Chen Long is currently ranked 9th in the Badminton World Federation ranking.
9. Carolina Marlin (Spain)
Carolina Maria Marin Martin is a Spanish professional badminton player. She was born on June 15 1993, in Huelva, Spain.
She is known for her loud celebrations and, more importantly, her huge victories!
Carolina Marlin single-handedly ended the long reign of Asian dominance in women’s badminton singles.
In addition, she set a new standard of speed and fitness for women’s singles and other female badminton players.
She is also an ambassador for the Spanish Football league La Liga, and Melia Hotels International for its promotion in other countries.
Carolina Marin is an Olympic Champion, 3-time World Champion, 6-time European Champion and the former World No. 1 in BWF rankings for the women’s singles discipline, holding the World No. 1 title for 66 weeks.
10. P.V. Sindhu (India)
P.V. Sindhu is a professional Indian badminton player.
She is the first Indian woman to win silver in the 2016 Olympics, held in Rio de Janeiro, and the youngest Indian player to date with this title.
Sindhu has a background in sports as her father, P.V. Ramana himself, was a former professional volleyball player. He used to play for the Indian men’s national volleyball team.
However, Sindhu chose badminton and started taking her sessions under Pullela Gopichand, a former Indian badminton player.
She started playing badminton at the very young age of 8, beginning her international journey at 14 by winning the Junior Asian Championships title in 2009.
After this, she achieved bronze at the 2013 Badminton World Championships, with an excellent performance at this event.
She has become a national icon and has helped drive the popularity of Badminton in India.
Final Words
These top badminton players are some of the most popular worldwide, becoming incredible idols for many rising players.
They have proven that hard work often pays off and, to become a professional player, you must start dedicating yourself to the sport as early as possible.
Remember that nothing is impossible if you have the right mindset and dedication to achieve something in your life!
