Zhang Ning
Taufik Hidayat
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Zhang Ning leads 1 of 2 categories. Our all-time ranking places Zhang Ning at #6 and Taufik Hidayat at #7.
The case for Zhang Ning
Zhang Ning defied age and expectation to become the only woman to win two Olympic singles gold medals, at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 — the latter aged 33, making her the oldest Olympic badminton champion. A late bloomer who broke through only in her late twenties, she added the 2003 World Championship and multiple Uber Cup team titles for China. Her game was built on suffocating consistency, deep clears and superb defence rather than flashy winners, wearing opponents down over long, punishing rallies. The 2008 gold, won on home soil in Beijing over compatriot Xie Xingfang, capped a remarkable second act and reinforced China's grip on women's singles. Few champions have peaked so late or defended an Olympic title so improbably, and her longevity at the top makes her one of the most quietly formidable players the women's game has produced.
The case for Taufik Hidayat
Blessed with the most beautiful backhand the sport has seen, Taufik Hidayat completed the singles set that eluded even some legends: Olympic gold at Athens 2004 and the World Championship in 2005, won at home in Jakarta before a delirious crowd. He captured the Indonesia Open a record six times and won Asian Games gold in 2006. His signature backhand smash and around-the-head attacking play were matched by a mercurial temperament that made him box-office. At his best — the 2004 to 2005 peak — he combined artistry with ruthlessness, dismantling opponents with angles and disguise rather than brute force. Though injuries and inconsistency meant he never held prolonged No. 1 dominance, at his height Taufik was the most watchable and technically gifted player of his generation, and his backhand remains a reference point for coaches and players the world over.