From Player to Athlete: The Transformation Demanded by Modern Badminton

Sport has changed. In almost every discipline, the physical, tactical, and mental demands are now higher than ever. In football, players now cover more distance at higher speeds, with elite midfielders running over 12 kilometers per match and performing more than 1,500 high-intensity actions. Tennis matches are longer and more physically demanding, with Grand Slam battles often lasting over four hours. In basketball, the game has become a constant flow of explosive efforts, fast breaks, and high-speed transitions, requiring players to repeat maximum efforts every few seconds.

Badminton is no exception. The game has evolved, the pace has increased, and the physical demands have reached a level where being technically skilled is no longer enough. Competing at the highest level now requires being a complete athlete—physically prepared, mentally resilient, and capable of handling the intense and relentless competition calendar.

A clear example of this shift was seen just days ago in the 2025 All England Women’s Singles Final between An Se Young and Wang Zhi Yi. After 93 minutes of intense rallies, physical demands, and mental resilience, An Se Young secured the victory 20-22, 21-19, 21-17.

It wasn’t just the scoreline or the length of the match—but the level of intensity sustained from start to finish. Long rallies, constant pressure, and explosive movements that pushed both players to their physical limits. Matches like this show what badminton has become today: a sport where technical skills are essential, but physical preparation and the ability to handle repeated efforts over time make the real difference.

And this is the reality of modern badminton. Being a good player is no longer enough. Competing at the highest level demands athletes who can endure heavy competition schedules, manage their workload, and perform consistently throughout the season.

One of the clearest signs of this evolution is the sheer number of tournaments top players now face each year. The BWF World Tour calendar features over 30 official events, pushing players to compete in 40 to 50 matches per season, not including national leagues or team competitions. Compared to a decade ago, the increase is huge.

In 2014, most top-10 players stayed among the best while competing in 10 to 16 tournaments per year. Lee Chong Wei led the rankings with 13 tournaments, Chen Long was second with 10, and the top women’s doubles pairs competed in a similar range.

Fast forward to 2024, and the landscape looks very different. Players like Shi Yu Qi, Jonatan Christie, and Anders Antonsen now play 20 or more tournaments a year, while Lee Zii Jia competes in 24. In women’s doubles, Thailand’s Kititharakul and Prajongjai complete 26 tournaments, and men’s doubles pair Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin finish the year with 28.

But it’s not just about playing more matches. Scientific studies confirm how physically demanding the sport has become. Players spend most of the match working at 85% to 90% of their maximum heart rate, with average values around 166 to 170 beats per minute and peaks exceeding 190 bpm during intense rallies (Faude et al., 2007; Cádiz Gallardo et al., 2023).

The aerobic system dominates energy production, contributing around 60% to 70%, while the anaerobic system—mainly the alactic pathway—supports the explosive efforts that define the game (Phomsoupha & Laffaye, 2015). Throughout a single match, players perform more than 150 explosive movements and directional changes, combined with repeated jumps and high-intensity actions that significantly tax both aerobic and anaerobic capacities (Fu et al., 2021). Elite players present VO₂peak values ranging from 50 to 62 ml/kg/min.

The real challenge, however, lies in the cumulative load. It’s not just about performing in one match but doing it week after week, across an entire season. Repeating those demands 20 or more times per year increases the risk of fatigue, injuries, and mental burnout. This is where load monitoring, recovery management, and intelligent planning become critical.

Many players have the talent to win a tournament or perform well for a short period. The real challenge is sustaining a high level throughout an entire career. That’s what separates good players from true legends—it takes preparation, resilience, and the ability to manage every detail, on and off the court.

That is the real evolution of badminton. The sport has changed, and so has what it means to be a top player. Modern badminton demands athletes who are ready to face the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of competing at this level.

And that leads to one essential question:

Are we truly preparing our players for the badminton of today?

References

• Faude, O., Meyer, T., Rosenberger, F., Fries, M., Huber, G., & Kindermann, W. (2007). Physiological characteristics of badminton match play. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 100(4), 479-485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-007-0441-8
• Cádiz Gallardo, M. P., Pradas de la Fuente, F., Moreno-Azze, A., & Carrasco Páez, L. (2023). Physiological demands of racket sports: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1183364. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1183364
• Phomsoupha, M., & Laffaye, G. (2015). The Science of Badminton: Game Characteristics, Anthropometry, Physiology, Visual Fitness and Biomechanics. Sports Medicine, 45(4), 473-495. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0287-2
• Fu, Y., Liu, Y., Chen, X., Zhu, J., Lu, X., & Guo, Z. (2021). Comparison of energy contributions and workloads in male and female badminton players during games versus repetitive practices. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 640199. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.640199