Eight consecutive All England Open titles — Rudy Hartono's dominance from 1968 to 1976 is the most extraordinary individual run in international badminton history.
Rudy Hartono was born in Surabaya, Indonesia in 1949. He won the All England Open Championship eight times — seven consecutively from 1968 to 1974, with an eighth title in 1976 — a record of dominance in the sport's most prestigious tournament that has never been approached. He won the inaugural BWF World Championship in 1980. His all-court game and court anticipation were considered the finest of his era. He represented Indonesia across two decades of international competition and is widely considered the greatest men's badminton player of the pre-Open era. The Suhandinata Cup — awarded to the World Junior Championship winner — was named in honour of his contribution to the sport.
Eight All England Championships including seven consecutive titles
How They Played
Aggressive attacking style with powerful smashes and excellent court coverage
Lasting Impact
Considered the greatest badminton player of all time and most dominant player of the 1970s
All England Champion 8x (7 consecutive)
Career Honours
- All England Champion 8x (7 consecutive)
- World Champion 1980
- Most dominant player of his era