China’s badminton star Chen Qingchen, 28, officially announced her retirement from the national team on Monday. The world champion and Olympic gold medalist shared the news on social media, writing, “My professional career in the national badminton team has come to an end.”
Chen said every athlete eventually reaches this moment and expressed gratitude for her journey. She highlighted her participation in two Olympic Games and the many titles she won on the international stage, saying she felt “honored” to bring glory to her country.
Reflecting on the challenges she faced, Chen admitted there were moments during injuries when she considered giving up. Reaching this point in her career was something she “never dared to imagine,” and she stated she has “no regrets.”
Although retiring from the national team, Chen emphasized she is not stepping away from badminton entirely. She hopes to explore “a different kind of badminton” and experience the sport in new environments while trying new things.
The Fanchen pair — Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan — are widely regarded as the most successful women’s doubles partnership of the modern era. The duo captured back-to-back World Junior Championships titles in 2014 and 2015 before dominating senior-level badminton. Together, they won 48 international women’s doubles titles, including four World Championships (2017, 2021, 2022, 2023), four season-ending championships, and the 2019 All England Open. They also held the world No. 1 ranking for a total of 203 weeks. Their triumph at the Paris 2024 Olympics secured their first Olympic gold and cemented their legacy.
Chen also enjoyed success in mixed doubles early in her career, winning three World Junior Championships titles and finishing runner-up with Zheng Siwei at the 2017 World Championships. She also claimed two season-ending titles in mixed doubles in 2016 and 2017.
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