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Do you play badminton? Why not try to get to know the famous personalities of badminton? Badminton is an internationally popular sport and has produced renowned players like Lee Chong Wei, and P. V. Sindhu. These famous badminton players are known for their dominance on the court, and their exceptional skills. This blog covers the top ten famous personalities of badminton who have left an impact on sports. Read this blog and get to know more about these players.
Table of Contents
- 1 Top 10 Famous Badminton Players
- 1.1 1. Lin Dan from China
- 1.2 2. Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia
- 1.3 3. Taufik Hidayat from Indonesia
- 1.4 4. P. V. Sindhu from India
- 1.5 5. Carolina Marín from Spain
- 1.6 6. Viktor Axelsen from Denmark
- 1.7 7. Saina Nehwal from India
- 1.8 8. Peter Gade from Denmark
- 1.9 9. Gao Ling from China
- 1.10 10. Rudy Hartono from Indonesia
- 2 FAQs
Top 10 Famous Badminton Players
These are some of the most famous badminton players in the world. We have listed these players based on their popularity in the world, and the contributions they have made to the sport.
| Name of Player | Country | Notable Achievements | Recent Updates (2023–2025) |
| Lin Dan | China | Two-time Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion | Inducted into the BWF Hall of Fame in May 2023. Participated in a charity exhibition match in Paris in 2024. |
| Lee Chong Wei | Malaysia | Three-time Olympic silver medalist and former World No. 1 | Inducted into the BWF Hall of Fame in May 2023. Played in a charity exhibition match in Paris in 2024. |
| Taufik Hidayat | Indonesia | Olympic Gold Medalist (2004) and former World Champion | Appointed as Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports for the 2024–2029 term. |
| P. V. Sindhu | India | Olympic silver and bronze medalist; World Champion (2019) | Delivered a motivational speech at FLAME University in Pune in May 2025, reflecting on her journey and emphasising perseverance. |
| Carolina Marín | Spain | Olympic Gold Medalist (2016) and three-time World Champion | Won her seventh European Championship title in 2024. Received the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in 2024. |
| Viktor Axelsen | Denmark | Olympic Gold Medalist (2020) and two-time World Champion | Secured his second consecutive Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024. Appointed Peter Gade as part of his coaching team in late 2024. |
| Saina Nehwal | India | Olympic Bronze Medalist (2012) and former World No. 1 | Announced in September 2024 that she would decide on her retirement by the end of the year due to arthritis affecting her training. |
| Peter Gade | Denmark | Former World No. 1 with 22 Grand Prix titles | Joined Viktor Axelsen’s coaching team in late 2024, bringing his experience to support the Olympic champion. |
| Gao Ling | China | Two-time Olympic gold medalist in doubles; four-time World Champion | Attended the WindEnergy Hamburg 2024 event in September 2024, highlighting her continued engagement in public events. |
| Rudy Hartono | Indonesia | Eight-time All England Champion and World Champion (1980) | No significant public updates as of 2025. Continues to be celebrated as a legendary figure in badminton history. |
1. Lin Dan from China
Lin Dan from China is one of the most famous personalities in badminton. He is nicknamed Super Dan and is the greatest badminton player of all time. He is an Olympic gold medalist and has received gold for his country both in 2018 and 2012. Moreover, he is a five-time world champion. He was one of the players to finish the Super Grand Slam and won 9 major badminton titles. His rivalry with Lee Chong Wei is well known in the badminton court.
| Particulars | Notable Achievements |
| Olympic Gold Medals | Won gold in 2008 and 2012 Olympics. |
| Super Grand Slam | First player to win all nine major badminton titles. |
2. Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia
Lee Chong Wei is one of the famous personalities of badminton. He is one of the famous badminton players because he is a 3-time Olympic silver medal winner. He is known for his speed and the ability to make precise shots. Lee Chong Wei has held the badminton title as the world‘s number 1 player for 349 weeks. Although he never won an Olympic gold medal, he has become a global icon. Dare to be a Champion is his autobiography, where he details his rise to fame as one of the greatest badminton players.
| Particulars | Notable Achievements |
| Olympic Silver Medals | Won silver in 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics. |
| Longest World No. 1 Reign | Held the BWF No. 1 ranking for 349 weeks. |
3. Taufik Hidayat from Indonesia
Taufik Hidayat is an Olympic gold medalist (2004) and is a World Champion (2005), He is one of the famous personalities of badminton. He had won the 2004 Athens Olympics. He is known for his elegant playing style. His rivalry with Peter Gade, and Lin Dan has resulted in one of the most thrilling badminton matches. After his retirement, he opened the Taufik Hidayat Arena to help the young badminton talents of Indonesia. Even today, he is considered one of the most famous badminton players in the world.
| Particulars | Notable Achievements |
| Olympic Gold Medal | Won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. |
| World Champion | Won the 2005 BWF World Championships. |
4. P. V. Sindhu from India
Did you know P. V. Sindhu was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal? She is one of the famous personalities of badminton from India. In 2016, she won an Olympic Gold Medal for India and in the 2020 Olympics, she won a bronze medal. She has also won the e 2019 World Championship. She has several BWF titles to her name and is considered one of the top players in the world.
| Particulars | Notable Achievements |
| Olympic Medals | Won silver in 2016 and bronze in the 2020 Olympics. |
| World Champion | Won the 2019 BWF World Championships. |
5. Carolina Marín from Spain
Carolina Marín is one of the famous personalities of badminton from Spain. She is a 2016 Olympic gold medalist and a 3-time world champion. She has challenged the traditional powerhouse of badminton players from China and India. Her never-giving-up attitude made several comebacks from injuries. One time she held the No. 1 BWF World Ranking for 66 weeks (women’s singles). No wonder, she is one of the most famous badminton players in Spain.
| Particular | Achievements |
| Olympic Gold Medal | Won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. |
| Three-time World Champion | Won BWF World Championships in 2014, 2015, 2018. |
Also Read: Famous Sports Person of India: Names and Achievements of Indian Sports Personalities
6. Viktor Axelsen from Denmark
Viktor Axelsen is one of the famous personalities of badminton from Denmark. He won the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medal and is a two-time world champion (2017,2022). This Danish star is fluent in Mandarin and is known for his strong defence skills and powerful smashes. Viktor Axelsen is also a 4-time European champion. Throughout his career, he was able to win every single title in individual and team events at least once ((World Tour Super 1000 level or higher).
| Particular | Achievements |
| Olympic Gold Medal | Won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. |
| Two-time World Champion | Won the 2017 and 2022 BWF World Championships. |
7. Saina Nehwal from India
Saina Nehwal is one of the famous personalities of badminton from India. At the 2012 London Olympics, she secured a bronze medal for India. This is significant because she is the first woman from India to do so. She has been a Superseries champion several times. She has also been the World number 1. Her achievements continue to inspire several Indian athletes. In her autobiography “Playing to Win’’ she has detailed her struggles and achievements. She is one of the most famous badminton players in India.
| Particular | Achievements |
| Olympic Bronze Medal | Won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. |
| Former World No. 1 | First Indian woman to reach BWF No. 1 ranking in 2015. |
8. Peter Gade from Denmark
Peter Gade from Denmark is one of the most famous personalities of badminton in Europe. He has held the world number 1 title for many years. Moreover, he has won the Superseries title and several European championships. He is known for his fast footwork and net play. Today, after his retirement, he is contributing to the field as a coach for young players.
| Particular | Achievements |
| European Champion | Won multiple European Championships titles. |
| Former World No. 1 | Dominated badminton rankings in the early 2000s. |
9. Gao Ling from China
Gao Ling is one of the famous personalities of badminton from China. She is a four-time gold medalist. Gao Ling is also one of the most successful doubles specialists in the world. Throughout her career, she received a total of 9 medals (including the gold medals). She is known for her tactical intelligence, her agility, and her smile in court. Therefore, she is also nicknamed the laughing auntie in China.
| Particular | Achievements |
| Four-time Olympic Medalist | Won two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal. |
| Doubles Specialist | One of the most successful women’s doubles players. |
10. Rudy Hartono from Indonesia
Rudy Hartono is another one of the famous personalities of badminton. He is considered one of the greatest badminton players in the world. He has won the All-England Championship 8 times! Moreover, he has also obtained the World Championship in 1980. He has helped his country to achieve Thomas Cup victories. He is known for this strategic mindset and smooth playing style. In the 1970’s he was a great player. He is popular because he brought Indonesia to the global front in terms of the game.
| Particular | Achievements |
| Eight-time All-England Champion | Won eight titles between 1968-1976. |
| World Champion | Won the 1980 BWF World Championships. |
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FAQs
Ans. Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei, Susi Susanti, and Saina Nehwal are considered one of the greatest badminton players. Kento Momota and Taufik Hidayat are also great badminton players.
Ans. The God of Batminton is a nickname that people used for Prakash Padukone. He is an Indian badminton player from India. He was the leading singles player in the 1970s and the 1980s.
Ans. Some of the famous women badminton players are Saina Nehwal, P.V Sindhu, and Neha Pandit. Andudhati Pantawane is also a popular badminton player.
Ans. The famous personalities of badminton in India are PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Prakash Padukone, Pullela Gopichand, and Srikanth Kidambi. Other famous personalities are Saina Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap, and Lakshya Sen
Ans. As of 2025, Viktor Axelsen from Denmark is widely regarded as one of the best badminton players in the world. He won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2020 and 2024 and is known for his consistent performance, speed, and strategic gameplay.
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