Ayrton Oneill
The current world number one in badminton is Shi Yuqi, who recently overtook Viktor Axelsen at the top of the BWF World Singles World Rankings. Axelsen, a two-time Olympic and World Champion, had held the number one spot for 132 weeks before withdrawing from the Indonesia Open due to injury. Yuqi's consecutive tournament wins at the Singapore Open and Indonesia Open propelled him to the top of the rankings. Other notable badminton players include Lin Dan, often considered the greatest player in badminton's history, Peter Hoeg Gade, and Saina Nehwal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Shi Yuqi |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Recent Wins | Singapore Open, Indonesia Open |
| Previous No. 1 | Viktor Axelsen |
| Country | Denmark |
| No. 1 Weeks | 183 |
| Player of the Year Awards | 3 |
| Career Wins | 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 2024 Paris Olympics, 2017 World Championships, 2022 World Championships, 2006 National Junior Event, 2008 National Junior Event, 2009 German Junior, 2009 European U17 Championships, 2010 World Junior Championships, 2013 Sudirman Cup (Bronze), 2015 European Mixed Team Championships, 2016 European Championships, 2018 European Championships, 2018 European Men's Team Championships, 2022 European Championships, 2023 European Games |
| Legend | Lin Dan |
| Country | China |
| Career Wins | Two Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012), Five World Championship titles |
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What You'll Learn
Viktor Axelsen: the current men's singles no. 1
Viktor Axelsen, born on January 4, 1994, in Odense, is a Danish badminton player and the current world number four in men's singles. Axelsen is a two-time Olympic Champion, having won gold medals in men's singles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris Olympics, and a bronze medal in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. He is also a two-time World Champion, winning the World Championships in 2017 and 2022, and a four-time European Champion with victories in 2016, 2018, 2022, and a gold medal at the European Games in 2023.
Known for his powerful smashes and solid defence, Axelsen is considered one of the greatest badminton players of all time. He has held the number one BWF World Ranking in men's singles for a total of 183 weeks, making it the third-longest reign in badminton history. He has won every major title in both team and individual events, except for the Sudirman Cup, where his team won bronze in 2013. Axelsen is the current recipient of the BWF Male Player of the Year award, having won it three times since 2020.
Axelsen's achievements began at a young age, winning the National junior event in boys' singles and doubles in his age group in 2006 and 2008. He then won the 2009 German Junior and the European U17 Championships. In 2010, he competed at the World Junior Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, and became the only non-Asian singles player to win the title. That same year, he made his debut in the senior international tournament at the Denmark Open, playing in the men's doubles event.
Axelsen has led the Denmark team to victory in all European Mixed Team Championships since 2015 and all European Men's Team Championships since 2012. In 2022, he ended the year with a number-one ranking, six titles, and only three losses out of 55 matches. He successfully defended his championship title at the Malaysia Open, defeating opponents like Rasmus Gemke and Kodai Naraoka. Axelsen's wife, Natalia Koch Rohde, is the mother of his two daughters, Vega and Aya. His father-in-law, Henrik Rohde, is also one of his coaches.
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Lin Dan: former no. 1 and two-time Olympic gold medallist
Lin Dan, born on October 14, 1983, is a former professional badminton player from China. Nicknamed "Super Dan", he is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, having won at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games. In fact, he was the first men's singles player to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals in badminton. Dan is the only player to have won all nine major badminton titles, including the full set of major titles available during his time: Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, Thomas Cup, Sudirman Cup, Year-end Finals, Asian Games, and Asian Championships.
Dan's road to Olympic glory in 2008 was remarkable. In Beijing, he beat Hong Kong's Ng Wei in the first round, Park Sung-hwan in the second, and Peter Gade in the quarter-finals. He then defeated his teammate Chen Jin in the semi-finals, setting up a highly anticipated final against his longtime rival, Lee Chong Wei. Dan prevailed in a one-sided final, winning 21-12, 21-8, and capturing his first Olympic gold medal.
Four years later, at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Dan faced Lee Chong Wei once again in the final. Despite losing the first game, he demonstrated exceptional resilience and skill to come back and successfully defend his Olympic title, becoming the first male athlete to achieve this feat.
In addition to his Olympic successes, Lin Dan is a five-time World Champion, two-time World Cup champion, two-time Asian Games gold medallist, and four-time Asian Champion. He also won six All England titles, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest badminton players of all time.
Lin Dan's rivalry with Lee Chong Wei is considered one of the greatest in badminton history. Out of their 40 meetings, Dan held the advantage with 28 wins compared to Lee's 12. Despite Lee being ranked World Number 1 for almost ten years, Dan consistently proved his superiority on the court, showcasing his exceptional talent and competitive spirit.
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Shi Yuqi: current no. 1 in men's singles
Shi Yuqi is a Chinese badminton player currently ranked number one in the world for men's singles. Born on 28 February 1996 in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, Shi began playing badminton at the age of six when he enrolled in a junior sports school in his hometown. In 2007, he went to Singapore to study and train at the Singapore Badminton School under ex-SBA chief coach Zhang Qing Song. After returning to China in 2009, Shi's badminton career took off. In 2011, he won first place in the Jiangsu Province youth badminton competition, and the following year, he became a member of the national badminton team and participated in his first Asian Junior Championships.
Shi Yuqi's talent and hard work continued to pay off as he progressed in his career. In 2013, he won the mixed team event at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships, beating South Korea 3-1 in the final. He also achieved bronze medals in the boys' singles and mixed doubles events at the Asian Youth Games that same year. Shi made his senior international debut at the Korea Grand Prix Gold but lost in the first round. However, 2014 marked a breakthrough for him as he won both the mixed team and boys' singles titles at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships, helping China defend its mixed team title.
Shi Yuqi became a first-line player on the Chinese badminton team in 2016 and soon made waves in the badminton world. He won his first Superseries title at the French Open that year, defeating Lee Hyun-il in two straight games. He also claimed victory at the Indonesia Masters and the Bitburger Open. Shi maintained his winning streak into 2017, starting the season with a bronze medal in the Asia Mixed Team Championships. That year, he also reached the final of the All England Open, beating his senior Lin Dan, a six-time champion, in the semi-finals.
Shi Yuqi has led China to numerous victories in team events, including the Sudirman Cup in 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025, the Thomas Cup in 2018 and 2024, and the Asian Games men's team event in 2018 and 2022. He won a silver medal at the 2018 World Championships, losing to Japan's Kento Momota in the final. Despite a controversial withdrawal during the 2020 Thomas Cup semi-finals, resulting in a suspension from the national team and international tournaments for a year, Shi Yuqi has proven his skill and dominance in badminton time and again.
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Saina Nehwal: Indian player and former world no. 1
Saina Nehwal, born on March 17, 1990, in Hisar, Haryana, India, is a former world number one badminton player. She is considered one of India's most successful badminton players and has been credited with increasing the sport's popularity in her country. Nehwal started playing badminton in 1998 after moving from Hisar to Hyderabad, where her father took her to the Lal Bahadur Stadium to learn the sport. Her talent was quickly recognised by coach Nani Prasad Rao, who encouraged her family to support her badminton career.
Nehwal's first major achievement was in 2006 when she became the under-19 national champion of India and won her second Indian Asian Satellite tournament. In the same year, she became the first Indian woman and the youngest player from Asia to win a 4-star tournament, the Philippines Open. She continued her winning streak by claiming the Indonesia Open title in 2009, becoming the first Indian to earn a Badminton World Federation (BWF) series title.
In 2010, Nehwal won her first Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women's singles event in New Delhi. She went on to win two more singles gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2018, making her the first Indian to win two singles gold medals at the Games. Nehwal also represented India three times in the Olympics, winning a bronze medal in women's singles at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Nehwal has achieved several milestones in badminton for India. She is the only Indian to have won a medal in every BWF major individual event, including the Olympics, BWF World Championships, and BWF World Junior Championships. In 2015, she became the first female player from India and the second Indian player overall to attain the world number one ranking. Nehwal has been conferred with several honours, including India's third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan, in 2016. She has also received the nation's top two sporting honours, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award.
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Peter Hoeg Gade: former no. 1 and five-time European Champion
Peter Høeg Gade, born on December 14, 1976, in Aalborg, Denmark, is a retired Danish professional badminton player. Gade is a five-time European Champion and topped the world badminton rankings from 1998 to 2001. He also briefly recaptured the number one spot in 2006 after winning the Singapore Open and reaching the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Open.
Gade is one of badminton's most successful players, with 22 Grand-Prix titles to his name. He made history with his All England Open Badminton Championships singles title in 1999. Gade represented Denmark in badminton singles at four Summer Olympics: 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, he reached the semifinals, losing to eventual gold medalist Ji Xinpeng of China. He also won a silver medal at the 2001 IBF World Championships in Seville and bronze medals at the 1999, 2005, 2010, and 2011 IBF World Championships.
In addition to his international success, Gade was the Danish National Champion for nine consecutive years from 2000 to 2009, excluding 2008. His playing style is characterised by fast attacks, smooth footwork, and constant pressure. Gade's notable victories include a win against two-time Olympic Champion Lin Dan at the Copenhagen Masters in 2012.
Gade's career goals included a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Although he did not achieve this, he won his first match at these Olympics, defeating Nabil Lasmari 21-6, 21-4. Gade eventually lost in the quarter-finals to Chinese champion Lin Dan. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he was defeated by China's Chen Long in the quarter-finals, after which he retired from international competition.
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Frequently asked questions
As of June 2024, Shi Yuqi is ranked #1 in men's badminton.
Viktor Axelsen was ranked #1 in men's badminton for 183 weeks, until Shi Yuqi took the top spot in June 2024.
An Seyoung was ranked #1 in women's badminton as of May 2025.
