After competing for more than two decades, top Taiwanese shuttler Tai Tzu-ying, 28, announced on Saturday that she plans to retire at the end of next year.
“I plan to retire at the end of next year. That would be a wrap even if I still could play then,” the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist said at a commercial event in her hometown, Kaohsiung.
Tai, now ranked fourth in the world, has talked about retiring over the past two years, but has never announced an exact time.
Photo: AP
“My initial plan was to play until the end of last year, but after completing the season, I felt that I was good to continue,” she said in an interview released by the BWF in August last year.
Tai started playing badminton at the age of five and began competing internationally at 15.
She has had an illustrious career in women’s singles. She has won three Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships titles (2017, 2018 and 2020) and three BWF World Tour Finals titles (2014, 2016 and 2020). Tai also finished runner-up at the 2021 BWF World Championships to Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.
Tai’s announcement meant that next year’s Paris Olympics are likely to be her last competition.
“My mindset coming into the game now is to savor each moment I am still on the court, but I think I will play until the end of the season next year. I want to rest even if I can still play then,” Tai said.
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