Badminton, the second most popular sport in the world after football with approximately 225 million people playing it every year!
Throughout badminton history, there have been some incredible players from China, India and Europe who’ve left a big impact on the game.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the top 10 greatest badminton players of all time.
Top 10 Badminton Players
1. Lin Dan (China) – Super Dan
Lin Dan, who’s often called “Super Dan,” is one of the greatest badminton players the world has ever seen. Lin Dan is a Chinese badminton Player, and he’s really amazing at playing singles. He was born on October 14, 1983, in Longyan, China. His parents are Gao Xiuyu and Lin Jainbin.
When he was 18 years old, Lin Dan joined China’s national badminton team, and that’s when his cool career in badminton started.
Lin Dan from Xia Xuan Ze, who used to play badminton too and now teaches the national badminton team in China. So, he had a fantastic coach to help him become the great badminton player he is today!
Now, here’s something super cool: Lin Dan is a 2-time Olympic champion, 5-time World Champion, and 6-time All-England Champion. He is the only player in the world who has won all of these titles! That’s like being a king in the badminton world!
He has won 66 titles in singles, including 15 BWF Super Series titles, 5 BWF Excellent Series Premier titles, and 1 BWF Fantastic Series Finals title. That’s a lot of championships!
Right now, he’s ranked 20th in the BWF ranking, which is still really good. And also has a record of 666 wins and 131 titles. That’s incredible!
And guess what? Lin Dan is also super rich. His net worth is around $30 million, even though we don’t know exactly how much money he gets paid to play. But one thing’s for sure, he’s one of the best badminton players ever!
2. Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia)
Lee Chong Wei is a professional badminton player from Malaysia. He was born in Bagan Serai, Malaysia, to his parents Lee Ah Chai and Khor Kim Choi.
In Malaysia, badminton is a big deal, and Lee Chong Wei started playing when he was just 11 years old. Guess who inspired him to play? It was his dad!
Lee took his training from Misbun Sidek, who used to be a badminton player too and now helps train young players in Malaysia. So, he had a really great coach!
Here’s something amazing about Lee Chong Wei: he’s the only Malaysian player who was ranked number 1 in the world for more than a year. That’s a big achievement!
He has won a bunch of titles and championships, like 3 silver medals at the Olympics, 5 BWF Championships, and 5 gold medals in the Commonwealth Games. Also won silver medals in World Championships and the Thomas Cup. That’s a lot of medals!
Lee Chong Wei even wrote a book called “Dare to Be Champion,” and it became super popular in Malaysia. He’s not just a great player; he’s a best-selling author too!
And you won’t believe this: he’s super-rich. His net worth is about $16 million, and earned more than $1.85 million throughout his career.
3. Peter Hoeg Gade (Denmark)
Peter Hoeg Gade is a famous badminton player from Denmark, was born on December 14, 1976, in Aalborg, Denmark.
What makes Peter Gade so special is his incredible footwork, speed, aggressiveness, and how he covers the badminton court. He is like a ninja on the court!
Peter started playing badminton in 1994 and played until 2012 when he retired. He decided to retire after reaching the quarter-finals of the French Opens.
Here’s something super cool: Peter Gade was the world’s number 1 player from 1998 to 2001. He’s like the king of badminton during that time and people think he is the most technically gifted player of his generation. That means he’s really, really good at badminton!
He won lots of titles and championships, including the All England Open Badminton Championship in 1999, 5 European Championships, and 22 Grand Prix titles.
Even after retiring in 2018, he didn’t stop helping badminton. He started the Peter Gade Academy to train young players and help them become superstars like him. So, he’s not just a great badminton player; he’s also a great teacher!
Peter Gade is a true legend in the world of badminton, and his story is really inspiring.
4. Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia)
Taufik Hidayat is a retired Indonesian badminton player who used to compete against Lin Dan, the world champion. He was born on August 10, 1981, in Bandung, Indonesia.
Taufik became famous for his amazing footwork, tricky net play, and his ability to do impressive forehand jumps and drop shots on the badminton court.
He started playing badminton when he was just 9 years old and went on to play internationally in 1996. He learned a lot from his coach, Mulyo Handoyo, who was one of Indonesia’s top badminton coaches.
During his career, Taufik won 27 championships and even set a record for hitting the fastest smash in a singles badminton match. He retired from professional badminton in 2012, and after that, he opened a place called the Taufik Hidayat Arena. This is a training center where people can learn and play badminton, just like he did.
Taufik was so good that a famous badminton company called Yonex made a racket called the Arcsaber Z Slash in his honor. It represents his never-give-up attitude on the court. So, even if you’re just 18 years old, you can still be inspired by Taufik Hidayat’s amazing journey in the world of badminton.
5. Saina Nehwal (India)
Saina Nehwal is a super talented and really famous badminton player from India. She was born on March 17, 1990, in Hisar, Haryana. What’s so cool is that her parents, Usha Rani Nehwal and Harvir Singh Nehwal, were also into badminton. Her mom was a good player in Haryana, and her dad played badminton at the university level.
Saina made history by being the first Indian badminton player to win a medal at the Olympics and the BWF series, which is a big deal in the world of badminton. She also grabbed a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 – that’s like winning a top prize!
Her international badminton journey began in 2006, and she did something amazing by winning the Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament not once, but twice. Nobody had done that before her. She’s won a total of 24 titles in her career.
And guess what? She’s received lots of national awards for her badminton skills, like the Arjuna Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan Award. So, Saina Nehwal is not just a fantastic badminton player, she is a real champ!
6. Kento Momota (Japan)
Kento Momota is a Japanese badminton star known for his amazing skills and fierce playing style on the court. He was born on September 1, 1994, in Mino, Japan, to his dad, Nobuhiro Momota. But interestingly, not much is known about his mom. He has a big sister named Meiko, who took care of him when he was younger.
Momota started playing badminton when he was in second grade, and in 2011, he joined the Japanese national team. Today, Kento Momota is the number one singles player in the world. He has also won lots of big titles and championships, like 2 World Championships, 2 Asian Championships, and 1 All-England title.
Momota got into 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. That’s pretty incredible, right? So, Kento Momota is not just a talented badminton player, he is also a world record holder!
7. Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Viktor Axelsen is a professional badminton player from Denmark. He was born on January 4, 1994, in Odense, Denmark. Viktor started playing badminton when he was just 6 years old, and his interest in the sport grew after his parents divorced.
When he was 17 years old, he joined the national badminton team, and that’s when his journey to success began. In 2006 and 2008, Viktor won the National Junior Event in both singles and doubles categories. Then, in 2009, he started competing internationally.
Over the years, through hard work and determination, he has made Denmark proud in the world of badminton. Viktor Axelsen has achieved some amazing feats in his career. He’s a 3-time European Champion, and he’s even won a bronze medal in the Olympics.
In the BWF World Championships, he’s won both a gold and a bronze medal. He also contributed to his team’s success by winning a bronze medal in the Sudirman Cup and earning 1 gold and 4 bronze medals in the Thomas Cup.
Viktor Axelsen’s story shows us that with dedication and effort, anyone can achieve their dreams in the world of sports.
8. Chen Long (China)
Chen Long is a really amazing badminton player from China. He was born on January 18, 1989, in Shashi District, Hubei. He used to be the best in the world, holding the number-one spot in men’s singles for 76 weeks in a row from December 2014 to June 2016.
His journey in international badminton started in 2007 when he played and won the Asian and World Junior Championships. In 2009, he won his first big tournament, the Philippines Open.
Chen Long has won lots of titles and awards, like:
- 1 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze medal at the Olympics
- 2 gold and 2 bronze medals at 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 the Asian Games
Right now, he’s ranked 9th in the world by the Badminton World Federation. He’s a really talented player, and a lot of people admire his skills on the badminton court.
9. Carolina Marlin (Spain)
Carolina Maria Marin Martin is a super-talented badminton player from Spain. She was born on June 15, 1993, in Huelva, Spain. What makes her stand out is not just her amazing skills on the badminton court, but also her super energetic celebrations when she wins!
Carolina Marin did something really special in the world of badminton. She broke the Asian dominance in women’s singles, which was a big deal. She also set a new record for how fast and fit female badminton players can be.
But that’s not all. Carolina is not only great at badminton but also an ambassador for La Liga, which is Spain’s top football league. She also helps promote Melia Hotels International in other countries.
She has won the Olympics, became World Champion three times, and European Champion six times. She was even the best in the world at one point, holding the No. 1 title for 66 weeks! That’s pretty amazing, right?
10. P.V. Sindhu (India)
P.V. Sindhu is a famous Indian badminton player. She made history in 2016 by becoming the first Indian woman to win a silver medal at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She was also the youngest Indian player ever to achieve this remarkable feat. Sindhu comes from a sporty family – her dad, P.V. Ramana, used to be a professional volleyball player for the Indian men’s national team. However, Sindhu chose badminton as her sport and began learning from Pullela Gopichand, a former Indian badminton player.
Sindhu started playing badminton when she was just 8 years old, and she began competing internationally at the age of 14. In 2009, she won the Junior Asian Championships, which was a big achievement for her. Then, in 2013, she won a bronze medal at the Badminton World Championships, showing off her excellent skills on the court.
P.V. Sindhu has become a role model for young people in India and has played a huge part in making badminton more popular in the country.
