Goodbye, old rival Chen Qingchen.
World No. 2 Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan have bid farewell to one of their toughest opponents, China’s Chen Qingchen, who announced her retirement from badminton at the French Open.
On Friday, Pearly-Thinaah lost 16-21, 16-21 to Qingchen and her long-time partner Jia Yifan in the quarter-finals at the Glaz Arena in Cesson Sevigne. The following day, Qingchen and Yifan were surprisingly beaten 16-21, 17-21 by teammates Li Yijing and Luo Xumin in the semi-finals — their final match together on the international stage.
Pearly-Thinaah managed to defeat the Chinese pair only once in nine encounters, during the second round of last year’s All England Open.
Qingchen leaves behind a remarkable legacy, including an Olympic gold medal from Paris 2024 and four World Championships titles (2017, 2021, 2022, 2023). While she has decided to step away from the sport, Jia Yifan will continue her career and form a new partnership with Zhang Shuxian.
Although Qingchen did not specify the reason for her retirement, she has been battling illness since the Paris Olympics and had previously competed with younger partners before reuniting with Yifan for one final tournament in France.
“I wish Yifan all the best and will continue to support her so she can achieve more success with her new partner,” said Qingchen.
Meanwhile, Pearly-Thinaah took their defeat positively.
“We didn’t get the perfect ending, but we found new strength and focus,” Pearly shared on social media. “Thank you to my partner for staying strong with me through the tough days. These three weeks reminded me why I love what I do. Let’s rest, recharge, and start again with full hearts.”
The Malaysian duo have enjoyed an outstanding season, winning the Thailand Open and Arctic Open, and finishing runners-up at the World Championships, Japan Open, Indonesia Open, and Indonesia Masters.
Their consistent performances have secured them a place in the season-ending World Tour Finals from December 17–21 in Hangzhou — their fourth appearance at the event.
About the Author
