SEA Games 2025: Badminton star Ratchanok Intanon eyes fairy-tale Games swansong on home soil

BANGKOK – Looking at the nerveless display of Ratchanok Intanon during the badminton women’s team semi-finals on Dec 8, when she played to the cameras by striking poses including the K-heart and Stephen Curry’s “night night” acts, there was little indication of how high the stakes were.

For the 30-year-old home favourite, her first home SEA Games will also be her last, and it represents a final opportunity to win an elusive women’s singles gold at the biennial meet.

She told The Straits Times after beating Singapore’s Megan Lee at the Thammasat University Rangsit Campus to lead Thailand to the women’s team final: “When I play with pressure, I feel I cannot play how I want.

“So now, I feel more relaxed as I try to learn when I face hard situations, and I’m more measured.

“But this must be my last SEA Games because I believe that the younger generation coming up in two years will have more experience, and I trust that they can cover the team.

“We have many good women’s singles players. I will be 32 in 2027 and I feel I have played in enough SEA Games already – the other top players (from other countries) did not play at the last few Games too.”

This will be her fifth Games, after skipping the last two editions, and she has three women’s team gold medals from 2011, 2015 and 2019 to show.

Her best result in the women’s singles was a silver from the 2009 event in Vientiane, where the debutante lost to compatriot Salakjit Ponsana in the final.

She also had a bronze from 2011, when she was beaten by eventual champion, Fu Mingtian of Singapore, in the semi-finals.

“If I can end with two gold medals (in the team and singles event), it will be perfect,” said Ratchanok, who will spearhead Thailand’s bid to retain the women’s team title against Indonesia in the final on Dec 10.

Ratchanok was once the phenomenon and disruptor when she burst onto the scene aged just 13 and won the Vietnam International Challenge at 14.

A three-time world junior champion, she translated her potential to the senior circuit when she became Thailand’s first badminton world champion in 2013, backed that up with the Asian title in 2015, before becoming the first Thai player to reach world No. 1 in 2016.

However, injuries to her foot, back, knee and ankle threatened to derail her career, and she is yet to land a coveted Olympic medal and, surprisingly, an individual SEA Games gold.

With age catching up, she has made adjustments off the court to prolong her playing career, such as drinking less of her favourite milk tea – half-cup, half-sugar – and adding more gym work to build muscles.

Known for her smooth hitting and light footwork, she said: “It’s more competitive now and we have to push harder. Tai Tzu-ying told me to be patient for every point because the game style now is about more power and long rallies.

“So, fitness is very important and we have to take better care of our bodies, because it takes longer to recover with age.”

After slipping to 21st in the world ranking in September 2024, Ratchanok has enjoyed a renaissance as victories at the Indonesia Masters and Japan Masters in 2025 propelled her to world No. 8.

Armed with the mindset of enjoying her Games swansong on home soil, she will look back fondly on her journey with her trademark wide smile, regardless of how she finishes.

With a laugh, she said: “Oh my god, it has been so many years.

“My favourite moment will be my first one in Laos in 2009 when I was 14.

“I beat top Indonesian player Adriyanti Firdasari and I also played with my senior Salakjit in the final and got a silver.

“Also, to finish my SEA Games career here in front of Thai fans will be amazing.”