Why All England Open winner Shi Yuqi is not the stereotypical Chinese champion
Shi Yuqi is teaching China’s badminton barons to tiptoe around eggshells, and cultivate patience with athletes who might be physically or mentally weak(er).In between his two All England crowns — 2018 and 2025, Chinese sport has come a long way in learning to accommodate human fragilities — like having public meltdowns after losing, becoming Viktor Axelsen’s bunny on the Tour after repeatedly losing, and crumpling to the floor mid-match and being stretchered off due to high fever. Yuqi is prone to mental health breakdowns and to giving up because the body is crying out in pain physically. But both athlete and the badminton establishment have somehow clung on to not give up on each other. At Birmingham, Yuqi (pronounced yuchi), assured the coaches that their patience and backing was totally...