(Xports News Reporter Na Seung-woo) Xiaoyu, the son of China’s ‘Badminton Emperor’ Lin Dan, is attracting attention from the sports world by showing off his genius talent on the tennis court.
At the young age of 9, he beat prominent European prospects and ranked 8th in the Spanish U-10 rankings, proving the sports DNA he inherited from his father.
China’s NetEase reported on the 3rd (Korean time), “It turns out that he is Lin Dan’s son. When he was 9 years old, he defeated his peers and advanced to the quarterfinals. It was a two-game match.”
According to the media, Xiaoyu was listed as the only Asian player in the top 10 in the U-10 rankings recently announced by the Spanish Tennis Federation.
It was at the Youth Tennis Championships held in Valencia that Xiaoyu’s presence was revealed. On the clay court, he played an overwhelming game against local European players, using fast tempo and precise shots.
In one game in particular, the victory was so one-sided that the opposing player burst into tears after losing. He made a clear mark by achieving three consecutive wins in this competition.
The reason Xiaoyu chose tennis over badminton was the strong educational philosophy of his parents, Lin Dan and Xue Xingfang. When their son showed greater interest in tennis than badminton, the couple made the bold decision to send their son to Spain to study in early 2025.
It was not an easy decision to give up the unrivaled infrastructure and glory of the badminton world and choose the European tennis stage. However, it was intended to create an environment where children could be evaluated solely on their own abilities, free from the pressure of their parents’ fame.
What’s interesting is that father Lin Dan’s badminton skills are contributing to the improvement of his son’s tennis skills. Lin Dan incorporated his strengths, such as explosive steps and footwork, into his son’s tennis training.
Badminton’s unique agile movements and reaction speed have become Xiaoyu’s powerful weapons on the tennis court. The coaches also highly evaluate Xiaoyu’s delicate wrist control and aggressive game management ability.
Regarding the controversy over his son’s nationality, Lin Dan drew a line by saying, “The child will not change his nationality, he just went to Spain to learn tennis,” making it clear that it was a choice for the training environment.
Photo = NetEase
Reporter Na Seung-woo winright95@xportsnews.com
