Việt Nam’s No. 1 female badminton player, Nguyễn Thùy Linh.

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s No 1 female badminton player, Nguyễn Thùy Linh, has made headlines by climbing to 18th in the latest Badminton World Federation rankings, her highest position ever. This leap follows a remarkable performance despite missing two international tournaments.

Linh's ascent comes as her main competitors, Denmark's Hojmark Kjaersfeldt and Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand, slipped down the rankings. With 49,550 points, she is just 2,684 points behind 15th-ranked Pusarla Venkata Sindhu of India, setting her sights on a new career milestone.

In the past year, Linh competed in 17 international tournaments, including a notable finish at the Canada Open. However, skipping the upcoming China Open means she will lose 5,400 points from last year's performance.

Now back in training in Bắc Ninh, Linh is gearing up with top Vietnamese players for the 2025 Badminton World Championships in France from August 25 to 31. If she performs well, she could soon break into the coveted top 15. VNS