‘Stone’ Shi Yuqi overcomes rocky road to become badminton’s world No. 1

SINGAPORE – Following some “miserable” and traumatic experiences, Chinese badminton star Shi Yuqi does not have the fondest memories of Singapore and Indonesia.

The 28-year-old may now change his mind as his maiden world No. 1 ranking was ironically enabled by key developments in these two South-east Asian nations.

After winning the KFF Singapore Badminton Open on June 2, he amassed enough ranking points to end Viktor Axelsen’s 132-week reign as world No. 1, with the Dane withdrawing from the Indonesia Open as an injury precaution the following day.

Shi, who beat another Dane Anders Antonsen 21-9, 12-21, 21-14 to win the Jakarta tournament on June 9, will officially become the top men’s player when the rankings are updated on June 11.

The 1.84m Shi said: “Of course I’m happy because this is not an easy achievement, especially when I look back and consider what I’ve been through.

“It’s not easy because to get there, a player has to perform consistently to keep reaching the top four, finals and win titles. This requires not just a strong game but also a strong mentality.

“Being world No. 1 is a milestone but our real value is how we perform on the court in tournaments. In some way it’s just a number, and what’s most important is who wins tournaments.”

Born in Jiangsu province, Shi started playing badminton from age six.

His long and winding journey to the summit passed through Singapore when he studied at Yu Neng Primary School and trained under former national coach Zhang Qingsong at the Singapore Badminton School from 2007 to 2009.

Shi told The Straits Times: “I was miserable because I had to go to school and my English was poor, but Singapore did help me grow and I matured a lot there.”

He returned to China as the global economic crisis meant his family could not afford to extend his stay in Singapore. 

But Shi continued to shine with a strong all-round game that combines quick footwork and finesse with powerful overhead and delicate net shots.

His talent helped him win gold at the Youth Olympics and Asian Junior Championships in 2014 and rise to world No. 2 in 2017.

But his fall was just as swift.

Already coping with injuries so painful that he would be roused from his sleep, he tore an ankle ligament at the 2019 Indonesia Open.

Anxious to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, he returned to court just two months after surgery, only to be booed by his home fans at the 2019 China Open after losing 21-5, 21-9 in just 15 minutes to compatriot Lu Guangzu.

More surgeries to his ankle and elbow ensued and, while he made it to the delayed Olympics in 2021 as the 11th seed, he lost to eventual champion Axelsen in the last eight.

Before he could rediscover his form, Shi was dealt another, albeit self-inflicted, blow a few months later.

In a Thomas Cup semi-final against Japan’s Kento Momota in October 2021, he retired while trailing 20-22, 5-20 and received a 10-month ban by the Chinese Badminton Association for “unsportsmanlike” behaviour.

In a Badminton World Federation (BWF) interview, he gave a glimpse of his mental turmoil, saying: “In the build-up to the Olympics, I lost my interest and enthusiasm. My recovery was not systematic and not ideal. I had no idea what the next day would bring, so every day was gruelling.”

Shi added that being able to return to court was “already an achievement” and does not believe he can rediscover his pre-injury form.

After his ban was lifted, his ranking dipped to 44th before he won the Denmark and Australian Opens in 2022.

A barren 2023 followed, and he broke down in tears after reaching the Hangzhou Asian Games men’s singles final and explained he had crumbled under the weight of expectations and lost all three of his matches in China’s run to the men’s team gold.

Doubts loomed over his mental strength as he lost in four successive finals, before a spectacular turnaround – as unlikely as his impressive rendition of

Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up

in an online badminton channel – propelled him to the top.

Nicknamed “Stone” after his surname, Shi had a rock-solid 2024, winning four out of five finals on the BWF World Tour and was unbeaten in China’s victorious Thomas Cup campaign.

In Singapore, he overcame considerable deficits in the final to record his first win over compatriot Li Shifeng.

Even the seemingly invincible Axelsen does not faze him any more as he beat the Great Dane twice in their last three meetings to reduce his head-to-head arrears to 3-9.

In a year of full circles, it seems that all that is left for Shi to accomplish is an Olympic triumph a decade after his YOG win.

While acknowledging that it is tough to stay on top, the next world No. 1 added that he has been working on his mentality.

“The Olympics is a big tournament, there’s every chance nerves or mental block can cause an upset and early exit. So the important thing is to prepare solutions for all kinds of situations,” he said.

“Mentally, I’ve become more mature and I’m much more motivated again with the Olympics approaching. I will cherish the opportunity and go all out.”