22-04-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Beyond the court: What life looks like for Chinese badminton star Lin Dan after retiring
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Since his retirement from professional badminton in 2020, Chinese sports star Lin Dan, famously known as 'Super Dan', has shifted his focus to business and family.
Instead of becoming a coach like many former athletes, Lin Dan chose to explore the business world and used his fame to build successful business ventures. According to the Chinese social media outlet Sohu, the former athlete earned more than 100 million yuan (about US$13.7 million) during the peak of his career, based on advertisements alone. Moreover, he's also been involved in supporting his son's tennis training, which takes him back and forth between China and Spain.
Lin Dan also launched the Lin Dan Badminton Club after his retirement, and it became a success in Shenzhen, where it grew to at least five different locations. Truly, his strong business tactics were paying off, giving him and his family financial stability and a comfortable life after leaving professional sports. On changing nationality
In recent months, Lin Dan's wife and son have mostly been living in Spain, leading to speculations about a possible permanent move and even a change in their son's nationality. However, Lin addressed this issue on social media, explaining that his son, Xiao Wu, is only in Spain for tennis training and has no plans to change his nationality.
More so, he mentioned that he still runs businesses in China, which is why he often travels between the two countries. Lin Dan's badminton legacy
Lin Dan is widely known as one of the greatest badminton singles players in history. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time World Champion, and five-time All England champion.
He also first reached the world No. 1 ranking in 2004 and went on to dominate the sport for over a decade. By age 28, he had achieved the rare 'Super Grand Slam,' winning all nine major badminton titles. This is a feat no other player has matched.
Here is a list of his achievements throughout his sporting career: YONEX All England Open Champion (2004-2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016)
YONEX Open Japan Champion (2005, 2006, 2015)
China Masters Champion (2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014)
BWF World Championships Gold Medalist (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
Celcom Axiata Malaysia Open Champion (2017, 2019)
YONEX All England Open Finalist
Badminton Asia Championships Silver Medalist
Bonny China Masters Champion
Maybank Malaysia Open Finalist
Incheon Asian Games Gold Medalist
London Olympic Games Gold Medalist
Victor Korea Open Champion
YONEX French Open Champion
SCG Thailand Open Champion
YONEX German Open Champion(2011, 2012, 2016)
Badminton Asia Championships Gold Medalist (2010, 2011, 2014, 2015)
YONEX Open Chinese Taipei Champio n (2006, 2014)
China Open Champion (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Open Champion
TOTAL BWF World Championships Silver Medalist
YONEX Swiss Open Champion
YONEX Brasil Open Champion
Thaihot China Open Finalist
The Star Australian Open Champion
YONEX SUNRISE Hong Kong Open Champion
Guangzhou Asian Games Gold Medalist
Beijing Olympic Games Gold Medalist
Wilson Swiss Open Champion
In 2020, Lin Dan announced his retirement on July 4. At the age of 37, he admitted that his injuries and the feeling of constant pain made it difficult for him to continue competing at his level.
Lin Dan met his wife, fellow badminton star Xie Xingfang, in 1997, and they began dating in 2004. They married in 2010 and held a ceremony in 2012. Their first son was born in November 2016. However, soon after, Lin faced controversy when news of an affair broke. He publicly admitted his mistake and sought forgiveness, which his wife granted. The couple has since worked through their challenges and moved forward together.
