Tai hangs up racket, 'to enjoy a life without alarm clocks'

Chinese Taipei's badminton star and Olympic silver medalist Tai Tzu-ying has announced her retirement, saying her era “has come to an end” but that she hopes her spirit stays with fans.

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Tai Tzu-ying lunging to return a shot at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she failed to make it past the group stage. During her peak, she was the top-ranked player for a record 214 weeks and had a 27-match winning streak in 2017.

(AFP)

“A beautiful chapter has come to an end. Thank you, badminton, for everything you have given me,” the 31-year-old said in a Facebook post late on Nov 7.

Born in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung, Tai has been struggling with injuries since 2024 and unable to return to the international circuit.

The three-time champion at both the All England Open and the Asian championships recalled her elimination from the 2024 Paris Olympics at the group stage, calling it “the toughest time of my career”.

“Before the Olympics, I wasn’t sure if my injured foot would allow me to compete, but I gave it my all. Others didn’t give up on me, so I couldn't give up on myself,” she wrote.