Top 15 best female badminton players in the world currently

Top 15 best female badminton players in the world currently

Lenah Ann
March 13, 2024 at 8:15 PM

Over the past decade, badminton has risen in popularity and become one of the best indoor sports in the world. Its popularity is attributed to its engaging gameplay, accessibility, and physical and mental health advantages. As an Olympic sport, badminton has produced some of the world's top female players who have remarkably displayed their skill sets on the global stage. So, who are the best female badminton players at the moment?

 Kim Ga Eun, PV Sindhu, and Beiwen Zhang
South Korea's Kim Ga Eun (L), PV Sindhu (C) of India, and Beiwen Zhang (R) of China are among the best female badminton players. Photo: Marco Steinbrenner, Shi Tang, VCG (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Table of Сontents:

Since its inception, the indoor sport has amassed a considerable following from various parts of the globe, especially from European and Asian countries such as Sweden and China. Athletes from these nations have dominated the sport, ranking as the greatest badminton players of all time.

Top 15 best female badminton players in the world

After an in-depth analysis from various sources such as Olympics and Badminton Skills, Sports Brief has compiled a list of the top 15 best female badminton players based on their current stats, experts' opinions and other relevant metrics.

Rank

Name

1

An Se-young

2

Chen Yufei

3

Tai Tzu-Ying

4

Yamaguchi Akane

5

Carolina Marín

6

He Bingjiao

7

Gregoria Mariska Tunjung

8

Han Yue

9

Zhiyi

10

Beiwen Zhang

11

PV Sindhu

12

Ohori Aya

13

Kim Ga-eun

14

Ratchanok Intanon

15

Zhang Yiman

15. Zhang Yiman

Zhang Yiman celebrates victory
Zhang Yiman celebrates victory in the Women's Singles Quarter Finals at Axiata Arena on 12 January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Shi Tang (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 27 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Chinese
  • Points: 57,104

Zhang Yiman is among the best female badminton players in the world as of 2024. She is famous for her style of play with her right hand, and her highest world ranking was 13.

She won her first bronze medal during the 2021 World Championships in the women's singles category. In 2019, during the Vietnam Open, she won her first World Tour championship.

14. Ratchanok Intanon

Ratchanok Intanon competes in the Women's Singles
Ratchanok Intanon competes in the Women's Singles at Axiata Arena on 11 January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Shi Tang (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 29 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Thai
  • Points: 60,393

Known for her light footwork and relaxed hitting motion, Ratchanok Intanon ranks among the most beautiful female badminton players by Total Shape. She was the first Thai woman ranked No. 1 in women's singles.

Intanon won the 2013 World Championships and the gold medal at the Asian Championship in 2015. She is also a 3-time gold medal winner at the Southeast Asian Games.

13. Kim Ga-eun

Kim Ga Eun in action
Kim Ga Eun controls the ball during the match between Leonice Huet of France and Kim Ga Eun of Korea on 29 February 2024 in Muehlheim, Germany. Photo: Marco Steinbrenner
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 26 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: South Korean
  • Points: 60,780

The South Korean national, Kim Ga-eun, is not only one of the best female badminton players in the world at the moment but also one to watch in the future. She has bagged numerous awards and titles at a young age, and her highest ranking is 12th.

The renowned badminton player won gold at the 2022 Uber Cup competitions, and aside from that, she has won silver medals at Asian regional events and junior events.

12. Ohori Aya

  • Age: 27 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Japanese
  • Points: 60,887

Ohori Aya is one of the best female badminton players in the world and one of the best in Japan. Her highest world ranking is 12th, and since her debut, she has a career record of 227 wins and 154 losses. She has won 5 gold medals in her career.

11. PV Sindhu

PV Sindhu competes in the Women's Singles Semi Finals
PV Sindhu competes in the Women's Singles Semi Finals at Jyske Bank Arena on 21 October 2023 in Odense, Denmark. Photo: Shi Tang
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 28 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Indian
  • Points: 62,922

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is one of the most famous female badminton player. She is also the most decorated badminton player not only in India but also in the world. She has bagged numerous medals in competitions, such as the Olympics and the BWF circuit.

PV Sindhu earned gold at the 2019 World Championships. She was the first and only Indian to become a world champion. Her highest world ranking is 2nd, which she achieved in April 2017.

10. Beiwen Zhang

Zhang competes in the Women's Singles Round Robin
Zhang competes in the Women's Singles Round Robin match at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium on 15 December 2023 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. Photo: VCG
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 33 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Chinese-American
  • Points: 67,506

In her career, Beiwen Zhang has played for various countries, including China, Singapore and the United States of America. She won in the women's singles at the 2021 Pan American Championships and the 2023 Pan American Games. Her highest ranking is 9th.

9. Zhiyi

  • Age: 23 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Chinese
  • Points: 71,308

Zhiyi is one of the youngest and most famous female badminton players. according to the The Famous People. She clinched the women's singles gold medal in the 2022 Asian Championships, the most significant title of her career. Her highest world ranking is 9th.

8. Han Yue

Han Yue in action at Axiata Arena
Han Yue in action against Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia during day one of the Petronas Malaysia Open at Axiata Arena on 9 January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: How Foo Yeen
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 24 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Chinese
  • Points: 71,736

Starting her career at a young age, Han Yue rose to become one of the top female badminton players in the world. She has bagged several gold medals in her career, with her highest world ranking of 8th.

In addition to taking home the gold medal in the Asia Mixed Team Championship in 2019, she bagged the Uber Cup in 2020. She also bagged a few gold medals at the junior level in the Asia Junior Championships and the World Junior Championships.

7. Gregoria Mariska Tunjung

Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in action at Axiata Arena
Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in action against Chen Yu Fei of China in their women singles quarter-final at Axiata Arena on 12 January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: How Foo Yeen
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 24 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Indonesian
  • Points: 72,800

The Indonesia-based badminton player Gregoria Mariska Tunjung has established herself as one of the best female badminton players. According to BWF, her highest world ranking is 7th.

At a young age, she bagged various coveted medals, including a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Team Championships and a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games.

6. He Bingjiao

He Bingjiao competes in the Women's Singles Quarter Finals
Bingjiao competes in the Women's Singles Quarter at Axiata Arena on 12 January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Shi Tang
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 26 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Chinese
  • Points: 74,474

He Bingjiao is a Chinese national who has achieved a reasonable number of accolades in her career. She has two bronze medals, which she won at the World Championships, the Sudirman Cup and the Uber Cups. Her highest world ranking is 5th.

5. Carolina Marín

Carolina Marin during an event of Santander Bank
Carolina Marin during an event of Santander Bank at Santander Work Cafe Madrid on 6 February 2024 in Madrid, Spain. Photo: Oscar J Barroso
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 30 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Spanish
  • Points: 85,556

The Spanish-based badminton player Carolina Marín has made a name for herself in the sport. Team Boma ranks her among the greatest female badminton players of all time.

Marin is a 3-time world champion and a 7-time European Champion who has been ranked No. 1 in the world rankings and held the title for 66 weeks. She is the first female badminton player to achieve such a milestone in the sport's history.

4. Yamaguchi Akane

Akane Yamaguchi reacts in the Women's Singles Quarter Finals
Yamaguchi reacts in the Women's Singles Quarter Finals at Axiata Arena on 12 January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Shi Tang
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 26 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Japanese
  • Points: 91,167

Yamaguchi Akane is a renowned badminton player who made history after being ranked at the No. 1 spot in the world rankings in April 2018. She has accomplished a lot in the famous sport and will only want to increase her titles in the future.

At the World Championships in 2021 and 2022, Yamaguchi won gold in both events. Although she is yet to win an Olympic medal, she won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games.

3. Tai Tzu-Ying

  • Age: 29 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Taiwanese
  • Points: 97,036

The renowned badminton legend has become one of the most famous in the sports industry according to Sports Lumo. She received numerous honours, including the coveted medal she took home from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In addition to winning a gold medal at the Asian Games in 2018, she also won two gold medals from the Asian Championship and a silver from the World Championship.

2. Chen Yufei

Chen Yufei competes in the Women's Singles Semi Finals
Chen Yufei competes in the Women's Singles Semi Finals at Axiata Arena on 13 January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Shi Tang
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 26 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: Chinese
  • Points: 102,596

Due to her performance at various tournament levels, Chen Yufei cemented her name in history books as one of the best female badminton players of all time by Ainsworth Sports. She won a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships and her first gold medal in the Macau Open.

1. An Se-young

An Se-young competes in the Women's Singles Semi-finals
An Se-young competes in the Women's Singles Semi-finals at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium on 16 December 2023 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. Photo: VCG
Source: Getty Images
  • Age: 22 (as of March 2024)
  • Nationality: South Korean
  • Points: 102,596

As of February 2024, An Se-young ranks as No. 1 in Sportco's world rankings, and thus, he is among the top female badminton players worldwide. She is recognised for her outstanding achievements on the court and has been honoured as one of the most promising globally.

She is the first Korean woman to win the gold medal in the 2023 World Championships. She demonstrated her abilities by bagging the gold medal in women's singles at the Asian Games 2022.

Frequently asked questions

Badminton is undoubtedly a famous sport with a global and dedicated following. Most badminton athletes are famous due to their various achievements on the international stage. Here are some frequently asked questions about them.

Who is the richest female badminton player?

With an alleged net worth of approximately $7.1 million, PV Sindhu is the richest female badminton player in the world. According to Forbes, she was ranked 16th alongside gymnast Simone Biles.

Who was the first woman to win gold in badminton?

Indonesian player Susi Susanti is the first badminton player to earn an Olympic medal after defeating South Korea's Bang Soo-Hyun in the women's singles final.

How are badminton ranking points calculated?

In badminton, rankings are determined by calculating and adding the points earned at various tournaments over the previous 52 weeks. It is done for those players who have competed in 10 or fewer World Ranking events.

Final word

Singles and doubles are the most popular formats of badminton, although larger teams could also play the sport. Most of the top female badminton players are renowned for competing in both divisions and showcasing their skill sets for substantial earnings on the international stage.

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Authors
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Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.