Chinese badminton sensation and Olympic mixed doubles gold medalist Zheng Siwei has announced his retirement from international competition. The 27-year-old shared that the upcoming BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou next month will be his “last dance” on the global stage.
Zheng took to Chinese social media platform Weibo to share his decision, surprising fans worldwide. “Many people expected me to play at least until the Los Angeles Olympics, or even longer,” he wrote. “If there were any questions about our competitiveness, we just won the Olympic gold and rank among the top in the world rankings. As for why I suddenly want to stop playing, my answer is, this is my life plan.”
Family is at the heart of Zheng’s decision. “My life goals are now focused on my family and career,” he explained. “Everyone knows that I married relatively early, and now I’ve just had a second baby, so I want to return to the family.”
Zheng’s career has been nothing short of remarkable. Together with his partner Huang Yaqiong, he claimed silver at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago and clinched gold at the Paris Olympics, finishing the tournament with a flawless 6-0 record without dropping a single set.
Reflecting on his journey, Zheng wrote, “Along the way, we constantly made breakthroughs and broke records. We faced challenges and doubts, but we never stopped and we finally won a Grand Slam.”
Choosing Hangzhou as his final tournament holds special significance for Zheng. “I chose the BWF World Tour Finals as my farewell event because the host city of Hangzhou is where my professional career began,” he shared.
The season-ending BWF World Tour Finals will take place from December 11 to 15, marking the end of an era for one of badminton’s brightest stars.
Reference(s):
Olympic badminton champion Zheng to retire from international events
cgtn.com
