PETALING JAYA: The curtain has fallen on Tai Tzu-ying’s (pic) illustrious international career after the former world No. 1 announced her retirement, leaving the badminton world in shock.

Among those most affected is her long-time rival P.V. Sindhu, who says she will miss the epic battles they shared on court.

For more than 15 years, Tzu-ying and Sindhu produced some of badminton’s most memorable encounters in women’s singles, including the second round of the 2016 Rio Olympics and the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Championships in Basel.

In those matches, Sindhu often had to summon every ounce of strength to overcome the Taiwanese star. Tzu-ying, however, would later gain her revenge three years later in Huelva, Spain, and also denied Sindhu a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang.

“I won’t hide it, I hated playing you. Your wristwork, your deception, your calm brilliance made me dig deeper than I ever imagined I could. Facing you changed me as an athlete. Coach Park (Tae-sang) will tell you how much we prepared before playing you,” Sindhu wrote on social media.

“But beyond the rivalry, we built something truly meaningful. A quiet friendship, a deep respect, and a bond shaped through years of battles that only we fully understand.

“Watching you step away feels like losing a piece of my own journey. The sport will miss your magic, and so will I. It is starting to hit me that my generation of players are slowly beginning to step away, and nothing really prepares you for that. Wishing you the most beautiful second innings, dear Tai.”

Tzu-ying, 31, announced her retirement on Friday on her social media account, revealing that persistent knee injuries over the past two years – which required multiple surgeries – forced her to make the difficult decision.

Throughout her career, the Taiwanese star was one of the most dominant figures in women’s singles, earning the BWF Female Player of the Year award for the 2020-2021 season.

She also claimed silver medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2021 BWF World Championships, and was a three-time Asian champion (2017, 2018, 2023).

“Last year was the toughest time of my career. Before the 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.

“After undergoing surgery and lengthy rehabilitation on both legs, I’m grateful to everyone who supported my recovery,” said Tzu Ying.

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PETALING JAYA: The curtain has fallen on Tai Tzu-ying’s illustrious international career after the former world No. 1 announced her retirement, leaving the badminton world in shock. 

Among those most affected is her long-time rival P.V. Sindhu, who says she will miss the epic battles they shared on court.

For more than 15 years, Tzu-ying and Sindhu produced some of badminton’s most memorable encounters in women’s singles, including the second round of the 2016 Rio Olympics and the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Championships in Basel.

In those matches, Sindhu often had to summon every ounce of strength to overcome the Taiwanese star. Tzu-ying, however, would later gain her revenge three years later in Huelva, Spain, and also denied Sindhu a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang.

“I won’t hide it, I hated playing you. Your wristwork, your deception, your calm brilliance made me dig deeper than I ever imagined I could. Facing you changed me as an athlete. Coach Park (Tae-sang) will tell you how much we prepared before playing you,” Sindhu wrote on social media.

“But beyond the rivalry, we built something truly meaningful. A quiet friendship, a deep respect, and a bond shaped through years of battles that only we fully understand.

“Watching you step away feels like losing a piece of my own journey. The sport will miss your magic, and so will I. It is starting to hit me that my generation of players are slowly beginning to step away, and nothing really prepares you for that. Wishing you the most beautiful second innings, dear Tai.”

Tzu-ying, 31, announced her retirement on Friday on her social media account, revealing that persistent knee injuries over the past two years – which required multiple surgeries – forced her to make the difficult decision.

Throughout her career, the Taiwanese star was one of the most dominant figures in women’s singles, earning the BWF Female Player of the Year award for the 2020-2021 season.

She also claimed silver medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2021 BWF World Championships, and was a three-time Asian champion (2017, 2018, 2023).

“Last year was the toughest time of my career. Before the 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.

“After undergoing surgery and lengthy rehabilitation on both legs, I’m grateful to everyone who supported my recovery,” said Tzu Ying.

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