Source: REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
[Saba Sports News] On April 27, during the WTA1000 Madrid Open match where Polish star Iga Swiatek defeated Linda Noskova 2-0, familiar faces from Chinese fans appeared in the stands. Two-time Olympic champion in men’s singles badminton, Lin Dan, brought his wife and son to watch the match live, sparking strong attention from fans. From the TV broadcast footage, it could be seen that Lin Dan and his wife Xie Xingfang were sitting on either side of their son watching the game. However, unlike his wife and son who were seriously watching the game, Lin Dan seemed less immersed in the match. This scene triggered jokes from fans: Is Lin Dan thinking about being at the Sudirman Cup Mixed Team Championship instead of sitting in the tennis court stands? Although both his parents are badminton athletes, with one of them being the most successful male singles player in the history of world badminton, Lin Dan and Xie Xingfang’s son has chosen tennis as his sport instead. Previously, Lin Dan had mentioned in interviews that the reason for sending his son to Spain for study was to receive more professional tennis training. As a result, his wife Xie Xingfang went directly to Spain to accompany their son, while Lin Dan splits his time between China and Spain.