Beijing: China’s World No. 1 Shi Yuqi who won the men’s singles title at the 2024 BWF World Tour Finals last Sunday, and following his victory, his father Shi Lei spoke to the reporters about the changing mindset of his son.
Shi Lei revealed during an interview that Shi Yuqi had initially considered retiring.
In an interview with Chinese media, Shi Lei confirmed that his son experienced a period of low morale after the 2024 Paris Olympics and had once planned to retire. However, it was only a month ago that Shi Yuqi decided to continue his professional career.
Shi Yuqi’s father said:
“In the last match of the BWF World Tour Finals group stage and the semifinals and finals, it wasn’t easy for him. The main issue was two blood blisters on his foot and some old calluses that had broken open, causing significant pain. His team put in a lot of effort; before every match, they had to apply support and protection to those areas. Overall, winning under such circumstances wasn’t easy.”
“Since the Olympics, he went through a period of low morale, including mental struggles and uncertainty about his future direction. Finally, about a month ago, he made the decision to move forward, to continue playing for a few more years. After returning to the national team, he has been working hard to change himself, hoping to improve overall and return to his pre-Olympic level.”
“He now understands himself better. He knows he needs to put in effort. He’s just an athlete, and he simply wants to do well in the things he enjoys and is passionate about. That’s his current mindset.”
