Why they rank here
Tai Tzu-ying is the greatest player never to win a major singles title, and perhaps the most naturally gifted shot-maker the women's game has produced. She held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 214 weeks and won more than 30 titles, including back-to-back All England crowns (2017, 2018) and the World Tour Finals. Her badminton was defined by outrageous deception — wrist-flick disguises, no-look drops and impossible angles that left opponents frozen mid-court. Yet Olympic and World Championship gold eluded her: she took silver at Tokyo 2020, losing to Chen Yufei, and never won the Worlds despite years of dominance. Retiring in 2024 after persistent injury, Tai Tzu leaves a legacy measured not in the biggest titles but in a style so joyful and inventive that she permanently expanded the imagination of what the women's game could look like.
Career profile
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