Shocking Exit: Ahn Se-young Ditches Chinese National Team, But Will She Hang Up Her Racket for Good
Chen Yufei’s Uncertain Future: A Break from Badminton and the China Open
World No. 2 Chen Yufei, a 26-year-old Chinese badminton player, has announced her decision to take a break from the international stage due to injuries and physical fatigue.
The 2024 China Open, a Super 1000 series competition with a total prize money of $2 million, is scheduled to take place from September 17th to 22nd at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center in China. However, Chen Yufei will not be participating in the tournament.
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Defending champion Chen Yufei plays the second match of Group P in the women’s badminton round of 39 at the 33rd Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Photo = Xinhua = Provided by Yonhap News
The Chinese Badminton Association has also excluded Chen Yufei from the national women’s singles team list. According to the largest local portal site, ‘Groom (English name Sina.com)’, Chen Yufei directly announced her absence from the China Open Championship after receiving approval from the association and national team coaches.
Chen Yufei’s decision to take a break from badminton has raised concerns about her future in the sport. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has identified Chen Yufei as a protected position, which means that her future is uncertain.
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Chen Yufei plays in the second round of the women’s badminton group P at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Photo = AP = Provided by Yonhap News
Chen Yufei has been struggling with injuries and physical fatigue, which has affected her performance in recent tournaments. The ‘groom’ reported that Chen Yufei was exhausted not only physically but also mentally, and that she was considering whether to continue playing badminton.
China is the dominant force in badminton, with an overwhelming lead in the Summer Olympics with 22 gold medals, 15 silver medals, 15 bronze medals, and 52 awards. However, the women’s singles event is the only sport where China is inferior not only in terms of short-term results but also in terms of objective ability.
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Chen Yufei returns in the women’s singles semifinals of the World Cup 2024 Badminton World Federation Super 1000 Series Indonesia Open. Photo = Xinhua = Provided by Yonhap News
Ahn Se-young, the current world No. 1, has been dominating the women’s singles event, winning three major competitions consecutively until the Paris 2024 Olympics. Chen Yufei has a 1-4 win-loss record against Ahn Se-young in the individual finals.
However, if the scope is expanded to all games, Chen Yufei is still ahead of Ahn Se-young with 12 wins and 9 losses. Chen Yufei is the only women’s badminton singles player in the world to have faced Ahn Se-young more than 20 times and won three more times.
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Chen Yufei (right) takes a commemorative photo with runner-up Ahn Se-young after winning the Indonesia Super 1000 World Tour 2024 Open Series. Photo = Xinhua = Provided by Yonhap News
Chen Yufei’s future in badminton is uncertain, but her fans are hoping that she will return to the sport after taking a break to recover her body and mind.
2024 China Open Women’s Singles Seed Allocation
No. 1 Ahn Se-young: Korea, world No. 1
No. 2 Dai Tzu-ying: Taiwan, 4th in the world
No. 3 Wang Zhiyi: China, 5th in the world
No. 4 Akane Yamaguchi: Japan, 6th in the world
No. 5 Tunjung: Indonesia, 7th in the world
No. 6 Hanyue: China, 8th in the world
No. 7 Aya Oori: Japan, 9th in the world
No. 8 Supanida Katetong: Thailand, ranked 11th in the world
Chen Yufei vs Ahn Se-young Women’s Singles Final
1 win, 4 losses, inferiority
World Tour Super 1000 Series #2024
Indonesia Open
Set score 2-1 win (21:14 14:21 21:18)
World Tour Super 750 Series #2024
Singapore Open
Set a score of 1-2 losses (19:21 21:16 12:21)
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Runner-up Chen Yufei (left) and winner Ahn Se-young 2024 World Badminton Federation World Tour Super 750 Series Singapore Open Women’s Singles Awards Ceremony. Photo = Xinhua = Provided by Yonhap News