Tzu-Ying
Tai
Taiwan
·
Badminton
Date of birth | 20 June 1994 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Kaohsiung City |
Age | 32 |
Nationality | Taiwan |
Career start | 2009 |
Discipline | Badminton |
There's little doubt that Tai Tzu-ying was destined to play badminton. Both her parents were regular players in their home city of Kaohsiung and her father was on the city's badminton committee. The court has been her second home since the third grade, and she showed the talent that would take her to the top of the sport almost immediately, becoming the youngest-ever player to compete in Taiwan's first division.
A teenage badminton prodigy
At 15, Tai played on the international stage for the first time, finishing runner-up in that tournament and quickly garnering the reputation as a prodigy on the badminton court.
In 2012, aged just 18, Tai won the Japanese Super Series tournament, becoming the youngest-ever Super Series winner at the time. She then quickly developed into one of the most successful and formidable badminton players on the pro circuit, culminating in reaching the World No.1 ranking for the very first time in 2016. She then confirmed the ranking with victory in the season-ending Super Series Finals in Dubai for the second time.
Adding more titles to her collection
Tai carried on where she left off during the following seasons, consistently chalking up BWF tour wins, winning the British and Malaysian Open and taking the title in the Asian Badminton Championship – the first Taiwanese player to do so.
2020 was another year to remember for Tai, who won her third All England title and then overcame long-time rival Carolina Marín to claim victory at the BWF World Tour Finals – claiming the end-of-season title for the third time.
2021 saw Tai narrowly miss out on two huge titles as she won silver medals at both the Olympics in Japan and the World Championships in Spain. The following year, she would once again medal at the World Championships, this time winning bronze in Japan.
Tai would begin the 2023 season in impressive fashion as she won a fourth Asian Championships title before finishing in second at the Korean Open. In 2024, Tai took second place at the BWF World Tour in Malaysia, then followed that with a first place win at the stop in India.
Retiring as an all-time great
Tai brought the curtain down on one of badminton's most celebrated careers in 2025, retiring as a trailblazer for the sport in Taiwan and one of the finest players of her generation.
By inspiring a new crop of players and helping to raise badminton's profile both at home and around the world, Tai leaves behind a legacy that will endure long after her final match.