Source: Oriental Image / Stringer
[Saba Sports News] The Badminton World Federation has released the latest world rankings, with Tai Tzu-Ying dropping to 25th place, overtaken by 19th-ranked Sung Shuo-Yun. Taiwan’s top badminton player is now changed. Tai has not officially announced her retirement; after the Paris Olympics last year, she applied for “ranking protection,” deciding to pause competition for at least three months to avoid penalties from the Badminton World Federation for mandatory participation. She underwent knee surgery last December, leaving room for a future return to competition. Tai, who has not appeared in public for two months, plans to attend a “Tribute Exhibition to Tai Tzu-Ying’s Career” organized by her sponsors at the end of March, where she is expected to reveal her future career plans. Tai has set multiple “Little Dai Records” in the badminton field, including spending a total of 258 weeks at the top of the women’s singles world rankings, the longest record in women’s singles history. Additionally, she holds the record for the most singles victories with 532 wins. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she won a silver medal in women’s singles, earning Taiwan its first Olympic medal in badminton singles history.