Badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying announces retirement

Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) Taiwan badminton star Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) announced on social media Friday that she is officially retiring, marking the end of the "Tai Tzu-ying era" in badminton.

"I hope the spirit of TTY stays with you always," she wrote in English.

Tai, who set multiple records as the first Taiwanese player to achieve numerous milestones in the sport, has struggled with injuries since 2024 and been unable to return to the international circuit.

In the surprise announcement, 31-year-old Tai said: "A beautiful chapter has come to an end. Thank you, badminton, for everything you have given me."

She said that last year was the toughest time of her career. "Before the (Paris) 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."

"Eventually, my injuries forced me to leave the court. I couldn't end my career the way I had hoped, and it took me a while to come to terms with that."

Not wanting people to see her in a vulnerable state, and unable to give everyone a perfect retirement ceremony, she wrote in Chinese that she ultimately chose to announce her retirement through social media.

She further said she has not decided what to do next, "but for now, I'm going to enjoy a life without alarm clocks."

Tai won the women's singles silver medal at both the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2021 BWF World Championships. She also captured gold at the 2017 Summer Universiade and the 2018 Asian Games.

In addition, Tai was a three-time champion at both the All England Open (2017, 2018 and 2020) and the Asian Championships (2017, 2018 and 2023).