The origins of Badminton can be seen in Eurasia centuries ago. But the modern game that we know of was originated from the British in the 19th century. Since then, the game has been played all over the world and it has especially transitioned to Asian soil.
China, Denmark, Malaysia, South Korea, India, Taiwan, and Japan have dominated the sport in recent years and taken the intensity to a whole nother level. Owing to its popularity, Badminton was included in the Olympics in 1992. It has also been a part of the World Games since 1981.
Over the years a lot of players have stepped in the court only to become legends. In this list, we see 10 such players (male and female) who can lay claim to being called one of the best badminton players of all time.
Hence without further ado let’s have a look at the ten best badminton players of all time.
10 best Badminton players of all time
10. Han Aiping
Han Aiping was one of the greatest female badminton players of all time. She entered badminton in the 1970s and following this, she made a quick name in the badminton circuit. Aiping was one of the dominant badminton forces for over a decade and some of her most memorable moments came with Li Lingwei.
Li Lingwei was her doubles partner as well as the biggest rival in her career. Together they fought in the World Cup and then fought against each other in the World Championships. Han ended her career in 1989. She sadly passed away in 2019 due to lung cancer.
| Name | Han Aiping |
| Date of Birth | 22 April 1962 |
| Date of Death | 16 October 2019 (57 years) |
| Debut | 1977 |
| Retirement | 1989 |
| Country | China |
| Net Worth | – |
| Achievements | Winner of Dutch MastersWinner of China OpenWinner of Swedish OpenWinner of German Open, etc. |
| IBF Hall of Fame | 1998 |
9. Peter Hoeg Gade
The former Danish badminton player has been one of, if not the best European badminton player of all time. Peter initially made his mark in European tournaments before breaking into the rest of the world tournaments.
One of Peter’s biggest achievements was being ranked the number 1 men’s player between 1998 and 2001 and again in 2006. The Danish maestro retired in 2012 after capturing a whopping 22 Grand-Prix titles.
| Name | Peter Hoeg Gade |
| Date of Birth | December 14, 1976 |
| Age | 45 |
| Debut | 1993 |
| Retirement | 2012 |
| Country | Denmark |
| Net Worth | $20 million |
| Achievements | 5 time European Champion3 gold medals in the European Team ChampionshipsBronze medal in Thomas and Uber Cup |
| Hall of Fame | Not yet |
8. Morten Frost Hansen
Another Danish player on this list is Morten Frost Hansen. The player turned coach was one of the first European players to make his mark in badminton. He achieved silver medals in World Championships, World Games, and the World Cup. To add to this, he has also been ranked #1 in the rankings.
After his playing career, Morten Frost turned into a coach. In his coaching career, he has coached Denmark, Malaysia, and South Africa. He helped the Danes win Olympic gold in 1996 as a coach. Hence, this easily makes him one of the 10 best badminton players of all time.
| Name | Morten Frost Hansen |
| Date of Birth | 4 April 1958 |
| Age | 63 years |
| Debut | Late 1970s |
| Retirement | 1991 |
| Country | Denmark |
| Net Worth | $4 million |
| Achievements | 4 All-England Open Badminton Championship 7 Nordic Championship 7 Denmark Open, etc. |
| IBF Hall of Fame | 1998 |
7. Tony Gunawan
The Indonesian-American made his debut in the 1990s. Then on, Tony achieved many feats including winning gold in the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
Tony Gunawan has represented both the USA and Indonesia, helping them win the World Championships. Apart from the singles matches, the Indo-American has also partnered Halim Haryanto and Candra Wijaya in doubles tournaments.
| Name | Tony Gunawan |
| Date of Birth | 9 April 1975 |
| Age | 46 years |
| Debut | Early 1990s |
| Retirement | 2013 |
| Country | Indonesia & U.S.A. |
| Net Worth | $2 million |
| Achievements | Gold in men’s double 2000 Sydney Olympic Games2 Gold medals in World ChampionshipsAll-England Open (Doubles) winner, etc. |
| Hall of Fame | Not yet |
6. Li Lingwei
Li Lingwei was arguably one of the best female badminton players in the 1980s. Among her accomplishments are an astounding 7 gold medals in the World Cup and 3 gold medals in World Championships.
She along with Han Aiping dominated the doubles circuit and competed against each other in the singles tournaments. In 2012, she became a member of the International Olympic Committee and then became the vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee four years later.
| Name | Li Lingwei |
| Date of Birth | January 4, 1964 |
| Age | 58 years |
| Debut | Late 1970s |
| Retirement | 1989 |
| Country | China |
| Net Worth | $4 million |
| Achievements | 3 gold medals and 2 silver medals in World ChampionshipsWorld Grand Prix singles title |
| IBF Hall of Fame | 1998 |
5. Rudy Hartono
Rudy Hartono is a former Indo-Chinese badminton player who is widely considered one of the best in his time. Owing to his class Rudy is one of the most well-known badminton players of all time.
His biggest claim to fame includes the fact that he has won the prestigious All-England Championship 8 times. To add to this, Rudy has also won the World Championship in 1980. He is currently a member of the Indonesian Badminton Association’s board of honor.
| Name | Rudy Hartono |
| Date of Birth | 18 August 1949 |
| Age | 72 years |
| Debut | 1966 |
| Retirement | 1982 |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Net Worth | Unknown |
| Achievements | 8 All England ChampionshipsGold in World Championships, etc. |
| BWF Hall of Fame | 1997 |
4. Taufik Hidayat
Taufik is a former Indonesian badminton player and he is also one of the most decorated champions of all time. Having started his career in the 1990s, Taufik dominated most of the 2000s.
The Indonesian has won the Indonesia Open six times. To add to this, he won gold in the 2004 Olympics and the 2005 World Championships as well. The badminton star retired post-2012 Olympics.
| Name | Taufik Hidayat |
| Date of Birth | 10 August 1981 |
| Age | 40 years |
| Debut | 1997 |
| Retirement | 2012 |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Net Worth | $7.5 million |
| Achievements | 6 Indonesian Open3 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal in Asian Championships1 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals in World Championships2 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze medal in Thomas CupMen’s singles title at 2004 Athens Olympic games, etc. |
| BWF Hall of Fame | Not yet |
3. Gao Ling
The former badminton player is based out of Wuhan, China. Gao Ling made her professional debut in the late 1990s and has won almost every tournament that she has participated in.
Among her medal tally, Gao Ling has 2 Olympic Gold medals, 3 World Championship Golds, 1 World Cup gold, etc. Her last victory came when she won the Philippines Open in 2009 and announced her retirement in the following months.
| Name | Gao Ling |
| Date of Birth | 14 March 1979 |
| Age | 42 years |
| Debut | Late 1990s |
| Retirement | 2009 |
| Country | China |
| Net Worth | $1.5 million |
| Achievements | 2 gold, 1 bronze, and 1 silver medal in Olympics4 gold medals in Badminton World Championship3 gold medals in Sudirman Cup5 gold medals in the Uber Cup, etc. |
| BWF Hall of Fame | 2011 |
2. Lee Chong Wei
Lee Chong Wei is a former Malaysian badminton player who was ranked at the summit of the rankings for a whopping 349 weeks. To add to this, he is the only Malaysian to be ranked #1 in the badminton rankings.
He has 3 silver medals in the Olympic Games and 5 gold medals in the Commonwealth games. To add to this, he has won silver medals in the World Championship and Thomas Cup as well. He retired from the game in 2019 after a stellar career.
| Name | Lee Chong Wei |
| Date of Birth | 21 October 1982 |
| Age | 39 years |
| Debut | 2001 |
| Retirement | 2019 |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Net Worth | $16 million |
| Achievements | Gold medal in Asian Championship3 silver medals in World Championships3 Silver medals in Olympic games 5 gold medals in Commonwealth GamesSilver and three bronze medals in Thomas cup, etc |
| Hall of Fame | Not yet |
1. Lin Dan
Lin Dan is a former Chinese badminton player who has a career record of 666 wins to 131 titles. He is widely regarded by many as the best badminton player of all time. Lin Dan has 66 career titles to his name and he has also been ranked #1 in the men’s rankings.
His claim to fame includes two Olympic Gold medals, five World Championship victories, two World Cup gold medals among the other victories. Super Dan retired in 2020 after “pain and injuries” caught up with him over the years. Hence, this arguably makes him one of the best badminton players of all time.
| Name | Lin Dan |
| Date of Birth | 14 October 1983 |
| Age | 38 years |
| Debut | 2000 |
| Retirement | 2020 |
| Country | China |
| Net Worth | $30 million |
| Achievements | 2 gold medals in Olympics5 gold and silver in World Championships2 gold medals in Badminton World Cup5 gold and 2 bronze medal in Thomas Cup3 gold medals in Asian Games3 gold medals in Asian Championships, etc. |
| Hall of Fame | Not yet |
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