# Ye Zhaoying

Ye Zhaoying (simplified Chinese: 叶钊颖; traditional Chinese: 葉釗穎; pinyin: Yè Zhāoyǐng; born 7 May 1974) 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.

## Personal life

Ye married former top footballer Hao Haidong in summer 2019. As of present, she and Hao reside in Málaga, Spain.

## Political views and controversy

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, Tencent Sport and Baidu – have also been deleted. They moved to Spain, living in exile.
Two years later, in an interview with TV 2 Sport with Camilla Martin, Ye stated that the Chinese coaches ordered her to lose in the semi-final match at the 2000 Olympics, in order for her teammate, Gong Zhichao to win the title for China, as she was thought to be able to defeat Martin in the final. She ended up losing in 2 sets to Gong in the semi-final, and went on to win the bronze medal after defeating Dai Yun in the playoff. In the interview, Ye strongly criticized the Chinese system for doing so, and stated that if she had won the match in the semi-final and lost in the final, "all of China" would have considered her a "traitor", adding on that her previous victories would have been "meaningless", had she not won the gold for China.
In response, the Chinese embassy in Denmark issued a statement, stating that Ye "has always been anti-China. Her statements don't deserve a response."
After the entire incident in 2020, family and friends have turned their backs on Hao and Ye, and that they have been blocked by their former teammates on Chinese social messaging platform WeChat.

## Achievements
### Olympic Games

Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2000 | The Dome, Sydney, Australia | Dai Yun | 8–11, 11–2, 11–6 | Bronze |

### World Championships

Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1997 | Scotstoun Centre, Glasgow, Scotland | Gong Zhichao | 12–11, 11–8 | Gold |
| 1995 | Malley Sports Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland | Han Jingna | 11–7, 11–0 | Gold |
| 1993 | National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England | Susi Susanti | 10–12, 10–12 | Bronze |

### World Cup

Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1997 | Among Rogo Sports Hall, Yogyakarta, Indonesia | Susi Susanti | 8–11, 5–11 | Silver |
| 1996 | Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia | Susi Susanti | 2–11, 11–9, 2–11 | Bronze |
| 1995 | Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia | Susi Susanti | 12–9, 2–11, 12–9 | Gold |
| 1994 | Phan Đình Phùng Indoor Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | Bang Soo-hyun | 2–11, 4–11 | Bronze |
| 1993 | Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi, India | Lim Xiaoqing | 2–11, 11–2, 6–11 | Bronze |

### Asian Games

Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1994 | Tsuru Memorial Gymnasium, Hiroshima, Japan | Bang Soo Hyun | 12–10, 8–11, 3–11 | Bronze |

### Asian Championships

Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1999 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Zhang Ning | 11–8, 11–5 | Gold |
| 1998 | Bangkok, Thailand | Gong Zhichao | 11–5, 13–12 | Gold |
| 1995 | Beijing, China | Yao Yan | 11–2, 11–0 | Gold |
| 1994 | Shanghai Gymnasium, Shanghai, China | Liu Yuhong | 11–4, 12–10 | Gold |
| 1992 | Cheras Indoor Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Zhou Lei | 12–10, 11–2 | Gold |

### Asian Cup

Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1994 | Beijing, China | Han Jingna | 11–6, 9–12, 11–3 | Gold |

### IBF World Grand Prix (21 titles, 21 runners-up)

The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) since 1983.
Women's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2000 | Thailand Open | Zhou Mi | 11–5, 11–0 | Winner |
| 2000 | Japan Open | Gong Zhichao | 7–11, 3–11 | Runner-up |
| 1999 | Grand Prix Finals | Dai Yun | 11–4, 6–11, 11–9 | Winner |
| 1999 | Singapore Open | Gong Zhichao | 11–5, 5–11, 11–7 | Winner |
| 1999 | Japan Open | Gong Zhichao | 1–11, 11–5, 11–6 | Winner |
| 1999 | All England Open | Dai Yun | 9–11, 11–5, 11–1 | Winner |
| 1998 | Denmark Open | Camilla Martin | 10–13, 8–11 | Runner-up |
| 1998 | Singapore Open | Susi Susanti | 11–5, 6–11, 11–2 | Winner |
| 1998 | Swiss Open | Camilla Martin | 9–12, 8–11 | Runner-up |
| 1998 | All England Open | Zhang Ning | 11–5, 11–8 | Winner |
| 1998 | Japan Open | Gong Zhichao | 1–11, 4–11 | Runner-up |
| 1997 | Grand Prix Finals | Susi Susanti | 11–4, 11–4 | Winner |
| 1997 | Malaysia Open | Susi Susanti | 5–11, 7–11 | Runner-up |
| 1997 | Swiss Open | Camilla Martin | 12–9, 6–11, 5–11 | Runner-up |
| 1997 | All England Open | Gong Zhichao | 11–3, 11–1 | Winner |
| 1997 | Korea Open | Gong Zhichao | 6–11, 12–10, 11–4 | Winner |
| 1996 | Grand Prix Finals | Susi Susanti | 4–11, 1–11 | Runner-up |
| 1996 | All England Open | Bang Soo-hyun | 1–11, 1–11 | Runner-up |
| 1996 | Japan Open | Susi Susanti | 11–7, 11–8 | Winner |
| 1996 | Chinese Taipei Open | Susi Susanti | 5–11, 2–11 | Runner-up |
| 1995 | Grand Prix Finals | Lim Xiaoqing | 12–10, 8–11, 11–8 | Winner |
| 1995 | China Open | Bang Soo-hyun | 11–5, 11–0 | Winner |
| 1995 | U.S. Open | Bang Soo-hyun | 12–10, 3–11, 11–8 | Winner |
| 1995 | Swedish Open | Lim Xiaoqing | 11–6, 11–6 | Winner |
| 1994 | Grand Prix Finals | Susi Susanti | 11–4, 10–12, 4–11 | Runner-up |
| 1994 | China Open | Bang Soo-hyun | 8–11, 8–11 | Runner-up |
| 1994 | Malaysia Open | Susi Susanti | 3–11, 8–11 | Runner-up |
| 1994 | All England Open | Susi Susanti | 5–11, 9–11 | Runner-up |
| 1994 | Japan Open | Susi Susanti | 6–11, 12–10, 8–11 | Runner-up |
| 1993 | Grand Prix Finals | Susi Susanti | 3–11, 9–12 | Runner-up |
| 1993 | Hong Kong Open | Han Jingna | 10–12, 11–7, 11–1 | Winner |
| 1993 | China Open | Han Jingna | 10–12, 1–11 | Runner-up |
| 1993 | Denmark Open | Liu Yuhong | 11–8, 11–1 | Winner |
| 1993 | German Open | Susi Susanti | 6–11, 8–11 | Runner-up |
| 1993 | Indonesia Open | Susi Susanti | 11–9, 12–11 | Winner |
| 1993 | French Open | Yao Yan | 7–11, 11–5, 5–11 | Runner-up |
| 1993 | Japan Open | Bang Soo-hyun | 11–6, 11–5 | Winner |
| 1992 | Singapore Open | Han Jingna | 8–11, 11–2, 11–3 | Winner |
| 1992 | Indonesia Open | Sarwendah Kusumawardhani | 11–7, 11–6 | Winner |
| 1992 | Japan Open | Susi Susanti | 2–11, 0–11 | Runner-up |
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1997 | Swiss Open | Han Jingna | Ge Fei Gu Jun | 15–9, 2–15, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1995 | Swedish 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.
| Players | Matches | Results | Results | Difference |
| Players | Matches | Won | Lost | Difference |
| Dai Yun | 10 | 9 | 1 | +8 |
| Gong Ruina | 4 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| Gong Zhichao | 12 | 9 | 3 | +6 |
| Han Jingna | 6 | 5 | 1 | +4 |
| Tang Jiuhong | 1 | 0 | 1 | –1 |
| Yao Yan | 3 | 1 | 2 | –1 |
| Zhang Ning | 4 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
| Zhou Mi | 2 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Huang Chia-chi | 3 | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Camilla Martin | 9 | 6 | 3 | +3 |
| Mette Sørensen | 3 | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Players | Matches | Results | Results | Difference |
| Players | Matches | Won | Lost | Difference |
| Helen Troke | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Xu Huaiwen | 3 | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Sarwendah Kusumawardhani | 2 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Susi Susanti | 34 | 11 | 23 | –12 |
| Yasuko Mizui | 5 | 5 | 0 | +5 |
| / Mia Audina | 8 | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| Bang Soo-hyun | 17 | 9 | 8 | +1 |
| Kim Ji-hyun | 14 | 11 | 3 | +8 |
| Lee Heung-soon | 4 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| Lim Xiaoqing | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Somharuthai Jaroensiri | 5 | 5 | 0 | +5 |