Shocking Exit: Chen Yufei’s Departure from Chinese National Team Sets Stage for An Se-young’s Dominance
World No. 2 Chen Weifei (26) will be leaving the international stage for the time being.
The 2024 China Open, with a total prize pool of $2 million (KRW 2.687 billion), will be held at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center (capacity 6,200) in China from September 17 to 22. It is one of the highest-level Super 1000 series tournaments on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour.
However, Chen Weifei officially announced that she would not participate in the China Open, saying, “I want to rest to recover both physically and mentally. I have an injury and physical fatigue.” The match with An Se-young (22, Samsung Life), the current strongest player and the No. 1 seed in this tournament, was also canceled.
The Chinese Badminton Association also excluded Chen Yufei from the women’s singles national team roster. The largest local portal site, Sina.com, explained in its sports content that “the player personally informed the association and the national team coaching staff of her absence from the China Open.”
It is not just a matter of missing a game. This season, the Super 1000 series only includes the Malaysia Open, All England Open, Indonesia Open, and China Open. Chen Weifei has not participated in any individual competitions after the Olympics, World Championships, and World Tour Finals.
BWF has marked Chen Yufei, ranked 2nd in the women’s singles world rankings, as protected. It does not mean that she will be removed from the list immediately, like He Bingzhao (27, China), who announced her retirement from international competition after winning a silver medal at the 33rd Paris Summer Olympics, but it means that her future is uncertain.
Photo enlargement Cheon Wi-fei 2024 Paris Olympics Women’s Badminton Group P 2nd round play. Photo = AP = Provided by Yonhap News The groom said, “Cheon Wi-fei is tired not only physically but also mentally. She has not found her passion for badminton and feels a lot of pressure and fatigue. She is in the process of considering whether to continue working hard and challenge for the 34th Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA in 2028.”
China is the unrivaled badminton powerhouse, boasting an overwhelming lead in all Summer Olympics medals, with 22 gold medals, 15 silver medals, and 15 bronze medals, and 52 medals. They also won the overall title in Paris, with 2 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 5 medals.
Looking at the world rankings that reflect the results of the 2024 Paris Olympics, China is ranked 1st in ▲men’s singles ▲men’s doubles ▲women’s doubles ▲mixed doubles. The two wins were also below expectations. The only event where China is inferior not only in short-term results but also in objective skill is women’s singles.
Photo enlargement: Tian Weifei returns in the women’s singles semifinals of the 2024 Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 1000 Series Indonesia Open. Photo = Xinhua = Provided by Yonhap News An Se-young has topped all 59 rankings updated by the Badminton World Federation since August 1, 2023. She has won three consecutive major tournaments, from the 28th World Championships and the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last year to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Although Cheon Wi-fei is the gold medalist at the 32nd Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Paris Games. Above all, her biggest weakness is that she is clearly inferior to An Se-young in the individual finals with 1 win and 4 losses.
However, if we expand the scope to all matches, Chen Weifei still leads An Se-yeong with 12 wins and 9 losses. Chen Weifei is the only female badminton singles player in the world who has faced An Se-yeong more than 20 times and won three more times.
The ‘groom’ said, “We need to give Tian Wei Fei more space in her body and mind to recover. I believe that after a period of adjustment, she will regain her best condition and become passionate again. If she shakes off her fatigue and returns, we can look forward to it more than we do now,” cheering her on her return to the international stage.
Photo enlargement: Cheon Wi-fei (right) poses for a commemorative photo with runner-up An Se-young after winning the 2024 World Tour Super 1000 Series Indonesia Open. Photo = Xinhua = Provided by Yonhap News 
Photo enlargement: Chen Weifei celebrates after scoring in the second match of the Paris Olympics women’s badminton Group P. Photo = Xinhua = Provided by Yonhap News 2024 China Open Women’s Singles Seeding
1. An Se-young: Republic of Korea, No. 1 in the world
2nd Dai Tzu-ying: Taiwan, 4th in the world
3. Wang Ziyi: China, 5th in the world
4. Akane Yamaguchi: Japan, ranked 6th in the world
5th Tunjung: Indonesia, 7th in the world
6. Hanwe: China, 8th in the world
7. Aya Oori: Japan, 9th in the world
8: Supanida Katte Thong: Thailand, 11th in the world
Tian Wei-fei vs. An Se-young Women’s Singles Final Record
1 win, 4 losses, 3 losses
# 2024 World Tour Super 1000 Series
Indonesia Open
Set score 2-1 win (21:14 14:21 21:18)
# 2024 World Tour Super 750 Series
Singapore Open
Set score 1-2 loss (19:21 21:16 12:21)
Photo enlargement Runner-up Chen Weifei (left) and winner An Se-young at the 2024 Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 750 Series Singapore Open Women’s Singles Awards Ceremony. Photo = Xinhua = Provided by Yonhap News # 2023 19th Asian Games Hangzhou, China
Set score 1-2 loss (18:21 21:17 8:21)
# 2023 World Tour Super 1000 Series
Jeonyeong Open
Set score 1-2 loss (17:21 21:10 19:21)
# 2022 World Tour Super 500 Series
Malaysia Masters
Set score 0-2 loss (17:21 5:21)
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