Tai Tzu Ying is currently world number one. (Source: File)World number one shuttler Tai Tzu Ying announced that she would be retiring from the sport following the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Speaking to Malaysian newspaper The Star Online, Ying said that her primary goal is to win the world championship and Olympic gold.
“I’ve not won the big ones even though I’ve been at the top of the rankings for some time. So all my focus is on winning the World Championship in Basel (Switzerland) this year (in August) and the Olympic gold next year,” the 24-year-old was quoted as saying by the paper.
“My badminton career will be complete if I can win a medal at the Olympics but whether I win a medal or not, I’ll still retire,” she added.
On being asked why she is looking to retire at such a young age, Ying said: “I’ve given my all to badminton for 10 years and that is enough for me. I’ve to run on the court more than most players to cover my weaknesses because of my small size, so I think it’s enough.”
The Chinese Taipei shuttler has been one of the most dominant figures in badminton since arriving in August 2016. But she has not won a medal at World Cup or Olympics, yet.
Since December 2016, the shuttler has slipped from the number one spot just one for two weeks in April last year. She was favourite to end her medal drought at the 2018 World Championships in China but lost to He Bingjiaro in the quarterfinals.
