Ye Zhaoying


Ye Zhaoying is a retired badminton player from Hangzhou, China. Officially ranked as the number one women's singles player in the world for the first time in December 1995, she lost and regained that ranking several times during her career. Her best years as a player overlapped those of the slightly older Susi Susanti and Bang Soo-hyun, in what some see as a "golden" era in women's badminton.
She retired after the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and in 2002, she started a new career as a golfer, trained at the Tian An Golf Club. She married former Chinese footballer and top-scoring striker Hao Haidong in summer 2019.

Career

Her main achievements include winning the World Grand Prix Finals in 1995, 1997 and 1999, the IBF World Championships in 1995 and 1997, and the IBF World Cup in 1995. She played on Chinese teams that won the Uber Cup in 1992, 1998 and 2000 and the Sudirman Cup in 1995 and 1997. She won the prestigious All-England title in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
Her other titles include: Asian Badminton Championships in 1992, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999; Japan Open in 1993, 1996, 1999; Indonesia Open in 1992, 1993; Denmark Open in 1993; Hong Kong Open in 1993; Asian Cup of badminton in 1994; China Open in 1995; Swedish Open in 1995; US Open in 1995; Singapore Open in 1992, 1998, 1999; Thailand Open in 2000. She was a member of the Chinese Women's Badminton Team that won the Asian Games in 1998. In addition, she earned a bronze medal in the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, having been upset in the quarterfinals of the '96 Games in Atlanta. Ye Zhaoying was elected to the World Badminton Hall of Fame in 2009.

Achievements

Olympic Games

Women's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2000The Dome, Sydney, Australia Dai Yun8–11, 11–2, 11–6 Bronze

World Championships

Women's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1997Scotstoun Centre, Glasgow, Scotland Gong Zhichao12–11, 11–8 Gold
1995Malley Sports Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland Han Jingna11–7, 11–0 Gold
1993National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England Susi Susanti10–12, 10–12 Bronze

World Cup

Women's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1997Among Rogo Sports Hall, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Susi Susanti8–11, 5–11 Silver
1996Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia Susi Susanti2–11, 11–9, 2–11 Bronze
1995Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia Susi Susanti12–9, 2–11, 12–9 Gold
1994Phan Dinh Phung Indoor Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Bang Soo-hyun2–11, 4–11 Bronze
1993Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi, India Lim Xiaoqing2–11, 11–2, 6–11 Bronze

Asian Games

Women's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1994Tsuru Memorial Gymnasium, Hiroshima, Japan Bang Soo Hyun12–10, 8–11, 3–11 Bronze

Asian Championships

Women's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1999Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Zhang Ning11–8, 11–5 Gold
1998Bangkok, Thailand Gong Zhichao11–5, 13–12 Gold
1995Beijing, China Yao Yan11–2, 11–0 Gold
1994Shanghai Gymnasium, Shanghai, China Liu Yuhong11–4, 12–10 Gold
1992Cheras Indoor Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Zhou Lei12–10, 11–2 Gold

Asian Cup

Women's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1994Beijing, China Han Jingna11–6, 9–12, 11–3 Gold

IBF World Grand Prix

The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation since 1983.
Women's singles
YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
2000Thailand Open Zhou Mi11–5, 11–0 Winner
2000Japan Open Gong Zhichao7–11, 3–11 Runner-up
1999Grand Prix Finals Dai Yun11–4, 6–11, 11–9 Winner
1999Singapore Open Gong Zhichao11–5, 5–11, 11–7 Winner
1999Japan Open Gong Zhichao1–11, 11–5, 11–6 Winner
1999All England Open Dai Yun9–11, 11–5, 11–1 Winner
1998Denmark Open Camilla Martin10–13, 8–11 Runner-up
1998Singapore Open Susi Susanti11–5, 6–11, 11–2 Winner
1998Swiss Open Camilla Martin9–12, 8–11 Runner-up
1998All England Open Zhang Ning11–5, 11–8 Winner
1998Japan Open Gong Zhichao1–11, 4–11 Runner-up
1997Grand Prix Finals Susi Susanti11–4, 11–4 Winner
1997Malaysia Open Susi Susanti5–11, 7–11 Runner-up
1997Swiss Open Camilla Martin12–9, 6–11, 5–11 Runner-up
1997All England Open Gong Zhichao11–3, 11–1 Winner
1997Korea Open Gong Zhichao6–11, 12–10, 11–4 Winner
1996Grand Prix Finals Susi Susanti4–11, 1–11 Runner-up
1996All England Open Bang Soo-hyun1–11, 1–11 Runner-up
1996Japan Open Susi Susanti11–7, 11–8 Winner
1996Chinese Taipei Open Susi Susanti5–11, 2–11 Runner-up
1995Grand Prix Finals Lim Xiaoqing12–10, 8–11, 11–8 Winner
1995China Open Bang Soo-hyun11–5, 11–0 Winner
1995U.S. Open Bang Soo-hyun12–10, 3–11, 11–8 Winner
1995Swedish Open Lim Xiaoqing11–6, 11–6 Winner
1994Grand Prix Finals Susi Susanti11–4, 10–12, 4–11 Runner-up
1994China Open Bang Soo-hyun8–11, 8–11 Runner-up
1994Malaysia Open Susi Susanti3–11, 8–11 Runner-up
1994All England Open Susi Susanti5–11, 9–11 Runner-up
1994Japan Open Susi Susanti6–11, 12–10, 8–11 Runner-up
1993Grand Prix Finals Susi Susanti3–11, 9–12 Runner-up
1993Hong Kong Open Han Jingna10–12, 11–7, 11–1 Winner
1993China Open Han Jingna10–12, 1–11 Runner-up
1993Denmark Open Liu Yuhong11–8, 11–1 Winner
1993German Open Susi Susanti6–11, 8–11 Runner-up
1993Indonesia Open Susi Susanti11–9, 12–11 Winner
1993French Open Yao Yan7–11, 11–5, 5–11 Runner-up
1993Japan Open Bang Soo-hyun11–6, 11–5 Winner
1992Singapore Open Han Jingna8–11, 11–2, 11–3 Winner
1992Indonesia Open Sarwendah Kusumawardhani11–7, 11–6 Winner
1992Japan Open Susi Susanti2–11, 0–11 Runner-up

Women's doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
1997Swiss Open Han Jingna Ge Fei
Gu Jun		15–9, 2–15, 11–15 Runner-up
1995Swedish Open Han Jingna Kim Mee-hyang
Kim Shin-young		15–12, 12–15, 8–15 Runner-up

Record against selected opponents

Record against year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists.

Personal life

Ye married former top footballer Hao Haidong in summer 2019.

Political views

On the 31st anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in 2020, Hao uploaded a video calling for the overthrow of the Chinese Communist Party.
Afterwards the couple's Weibo accounts were deleted; their online profiles on major portals in China – Sina Sports and Tencent Sport - have also been expunged.