Gao Fangjie Announces Retirement

Chinese badminton player Gao Fangjie has announced on her personal social media accounts that she will retire after the Badminton Asia Championships.

In her post, Gao wrote:

“Hello everyone! I’m Gao Fangjie of the Chinese national badminton team.

In 2014, I entered the national team I had dreamed of since childhood. Wearing the national flag on my chest made me even more determined to pursue my dream.

My journey has never been smooth. It has been filled with setbacks, but I have never admitted defeat. In 2019, I suffered a devastating rupture of my Achilles tendon. I still remember the breakdown and helplessness I felt at that moment. For a time, I thought I would never return to the court. From surgery to rehabilitation, I found my way back step by step through pain and uncertainty.

In 2022, I finally returned to the international stage. Step by step, I fought my way into the world’s top 10 and surpassed the version of myself before the injury. I am incredibly proud of that perseverance—of having something once lost and then regained—and it has made me cherish every day I can play healthily.

I sincerely thank my parents and family, who have stood by me through thick and thin and supported and loved me unconditionally. Thank you to my country for its training and support. Thank you to everyone who reached out a hand in my hardest moments. Thank you to the leaders and coaches who helped me grow. Thank you to the team doctors who treated and supported my body, and to every member of the support staff behind the scenes. Thank you to my friends who sheltered me like family and walked alongside me. Thank you to the fans who have always shown me their support and affection. And thank you to the badminton I love, for giving me so many wonderful moments.

Most of all, I want to thank myself for never giving up—for staying positive, gritting my teeth through injury and rehabilitation, and staying composed through adversity. Every act of perseverance and every time I picked myself up again was a refusal to compromise with fate and hardship.

Throughout this precious and beautiful career in badminton, I have done everything I could and given it my all. All the laughter and tears, the struggle and the resilience along the way, have become the armor of my life.

I now officially announce that I will retire after the Badminton Asia Championships—saying farewell to my identity as a professional athlete and to the court that has been with me for so many years.

In the future, my identity may change, but my love for badminton and my commitment to my original aspirations will not. As I begin the next chapter of my life, I will continue to pass on this never-give-up spirit.”

Gao was born on September 29, 1998, in Jiangsu Province, and began learning badminton at the age of five. In October 2013, she joined China’s national junior team, and in June 2014 she was selected for the senior national team. 

In 2015, Gao helped China win the mixed team title at the BWF World Junior Championships, and in July 2016 she won the team title at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships with the Chinese team.

In November 2017, Gao reached the women’s singles final at the China Open, defeating Rio 2016 Olympic champion Carolina Marín in straight games in the semifinals. 

In December 2017, she captured the women’s singles title at the Korea Masters, beating Lee Jang-mi 2–0 in the final. In 2018, she was named to China’s delegation for the Jakarta Asian Games.

In January 2019, Gao suffered a serious injury at the Malaysia Masters, rupturing her left Achilles tendon during her women’s singles round-of-16 match against Marín, and subsequently entered a lengthy rehabilitation period.

In 2022, she returned to international competition, and later that year won three titles across three tournaments.

At the 2023 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships, Gao delivered strong performances in both the semifinals and final as China went on to claim the title.

In the women’s singles final of the 2024 Macau Open, Gao came from behind to defeat Lin Hsiang Ti 2–1 to win the title.

According to the event schedule, the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 will be held from April 7 to 12, 2026, in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, where Gao is set to make her final appearance as a professional athlete.