Tai Tzu-ying

Taiwanese badminton player who held the BWF World No.1 ranking for a record 224 consecutive weeks and won Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020

Opponents have described facing Tai Tzu-ying as trying to read a magician mid-trick -- her shots disguise direction until the last possible moment, a skill that's made her one of the most technically admired players in badminton history. And yet the trophy case tells a stranger story: no Olympic gold, no World Championship title, despite years spent as the sport's most feared floor presence. She first held the world No.1 ranking as a teenager and eventually spent a record 224 consecutive weeks there, a run few players in any racket sport have matched. Her Olympic final in Tokyo, lost to Chen Yufei in three tight games, is the closest she's come to the title her game has long seemed built for. What separates Tai from players with bigger trophy hauls is that her legacy was largely settled by her peers and analysts well before any single tournament confirmed it -- a rare case in professional sport where reputation for pure skill arrived ahead of, and arguably independent of, the biggest results.

Deceptive shots, exceptional court coverage, creative shot-making

Longest-reigning World No.1 in badminton history, elevated Taiwan's badminton profile globally

• Olympic Silver 2020
• BWF World No.1 for record 224 consecutive weeks
• BWF World Tour Finals winner x3