Source:Sipa USA/SOPA Images
[Saba Sports News] On the night of December 3, Indonesian badminton men’s doubles star Hendra Setiawan announced his retirement. The China Badminton Masters held in November was the last international competition of his career. Born on August 25, 1984, Hendra is now 40 years old and is a unique evergreen figure in men’s doubles. His peak spanned across five Olympic cycles from Beijing to Paris, setting multiple world records. In an era dominated by Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan, Mathias Boe/Carsten Mogensen, and Jung Jae-sung/Lee Yong Dae, Kido/Hendra was the only pair that primarily scored through serve-receive and flat drives, resulting in matches that were less exciting. The absence of aggressive rallies often led fans to find their games hard to understand, yet they inexplicably won. Over the years, the mainstream playing style in men’s doubles has become flat drives, which may be the secret to Hendra’s impressive 17-year peak. Throughout his career, Hendra partnered with four players—Joko Riyadi, Kido, Mohammad Ahsan, and Boon Heong Tan—and reached the finals of 77 international men’s doubles competitions, maintaining a record of at least one international final appearance each year. In addition to winning four badminton World Championship titles, Hendra also claimed the 2006 Badminton World Cup title, the 2008 Olympic gold medal, and the 2020 Thomas Cup championship.