Top things to know about Chinese badminton player Wang Zhiyi
Is China's Wang fierce on the court but actually shy in daily life? Get to know more about this rising star in the badminton world
Badminton
Chinese badminton star Wang Zhiyi is one of the People's Republic of China’s most promising young players, and has captured attention with her impressive skills and calmness under pressure.
Wang has been on fire in 2024, winning three BWF World Tour titles and securing the crown at the Asian Championships, beating Olympic gold medallist Chen Yufei in the final.
Here are a few interesting facts that you might not know about her.
1 - Wang started to play badminton by accident
Wang wasn’t born to be a badminton star; her journey into this sport was a happy accident.
According to Wang’s parents, she found it very easy to catch a cold growing up, so her mother encouraged her to try some sports.
Once, when Wang’s father was going to play badminton with his friends, he took his six-year-old daughter along. From that moment on, Wang discovered her interest in the racket and shuttlecock.
“She is very serious about her practice,” Wang’s mother recalled about her interest as a child. "She was always very focused, and other parents always complimented her.”
Wang also learned dancing, but she said: “I have zero talent in dancing, I felt so awkward on the dancefloor, so I decided to play badminton.”
2 - A Chinese rising star in badminton
Wang is currently top of the rankings for qualification to the end of season Badminton World Federation Finals 2024, and ranked third in the women's singles of the BWF world rankings.
In the 2024 season, Wang Zhiyi performed outstandingly, winning three events: the Indonesia Masters, Malaysia Masters, and Badminton Asia Championships.
In September, she claimed the title at the China Open, defeating the young Japanese player Miyazaki Tomoka. This victory marked Wang's first championship at the Super 1000 level.
Although Wang didn't qualify for the Olympics this year, she is eyeing going to Los Angeles 2028.
"I look forward to the Olympics in four years," she told the media. "There's still plenty of time ahead. What's more important is to focus on being my best self."
3 - Wang likes to practice calligraphy
Aside from the athletic side of Wang, she also developed a passion in Chinese calligraphy, known as "书法" (shūfǎ), which is the art of writing Chinese characters.
It has many script styles, and each emphasises different aesthetic beauty of the characters.
She started to practice Chinese calligraphy in primary school, and continues to practice every week as a hobby.
4 - Play the "high-profile" game, live the "low-profile" life
This is Wang’s motto.
“When playing a sport, you definitely need to be aggressive and make a strong presence on the court — that’s a desire for victory,” Wang said. “But I’m a very easygoing person off the court.”
In daily life, Wang is quite different from her on-court persona; instead, she says she's a very relaxed person.
Wang admits that she is a procrastinator and indecisive.
However, her mild personality means that she rarely gets angry or upset, and that's the secret to how she manages her anxiety during competitions.
5 - Companions in Competition
Wang Zhiyi’s roommate during training is Chen Yufei, the Olympic gold medalist in women’s singles at Tokyo 2020 in 2021.
The two became very good friends off the court, and competitors on it.
Of their nine encounters, Chen won the first eight matches. But in their most recent meeting, in the women's singles final of the 2024 Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, Wang defeated Chen 2-0 to claim the championship.