[Saba Sports News] January 25 marks the 28th birthday of Chinese badminton player Lei Lanxi. On her birthday, Lei posted a lengthy message reflecting on her career and announced her withdrawal from the national team, signaling a potential retirement from international competition. Her post has sparked significant public interest. Teammates Ren Xiangyu and Jiang Zhenbang joked about her excellent photography skills in the comments, while fans expressed a mix of blessings and regrets. Subsequently, Lei clarified in another post that she would not retire for the time being and plans to continue playing, possibly representing a local team or participating in domestic competitions as an individual.
In fact, Lei’s withdrawal from the national team had shown signs earlier. In the 2026 season, she missed several international competitions, and there were already rumors about her leaving the national team. Although she rose to fame at a young age, her performance in international competitions has been underwhelming. Her best singles result was a runner-up finish at the 2024 Hong Kong Open, where she made it to the finals but unfortunately did not win the championship. In 2025, Lei participated in ten international tournaments, with nine of them resulting in first-round exits and only one reaching the top 16, reflecting a dismal winning rate.
In my opinion, 28 should be the peak age for men’s singles, but Lei’s performance has declined prematurely; her skills seem stuck, leaving her without competitive edge in international events. Retirement seems to be just a matter of time.