Source: SOPA Images/Wong Fok Loy / SOPA Images
[Saba Sports News] In the 2024 season, without a single championship title and only a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, the Japanese badminton beauty Chiharu Shida once had the idea of retiring. The most critical match was the French Badminton Open in March 2024, where Shida, despite being far ahead, suffered a crushing reversal, which she found too embarrassing. However, Shida chose to persist and finally won the All England Badminton Championships this year. Now, Shida’s dream is to become the world number one. Regarding the distant future, Shida stated that the path of life is not fixed, and she will no longer set a clear retirement time, playing for as long as she can. Data shows that from 2019 to 2024, the Chinese duo Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan have dominated the women’s doubles scene, while the once-strong Japanese women’s doubles have declined significantly after the retirement of Ayaka Takahashi/Misaki Matsutomo, Matsumoto Mayu/Wakana NAGAHARA, and Fukushima Yuki/Hirota Sayaka. The successor, Shida Nami Matsuyama, ended the 2024 season with 0 championships, only securing second place in the French Badminton Open, All England Badminton Championships, Singapore Badminton Open, and BWF Finals, which once plunged Shida’s badminton career into confusion.