Vietnamese Badminton Prodigy: 714-Rank Rise in One Month

Although Thu Huyen has not yet celebrated her fifteenth birthday, she has emerged as the most impressive rising star in Vietnamese badminton in recent months.

Just a month ago, Thu Huyen was ranked 1042nd in the world – a position that is understandable for a 14-year-old girl.

However, her performances in Bangladesh, especially in the back-to-back Bangladesh International Challenges last week and the Bangladesh International Series in December, have completely changed Thu Huyen’s ranking.

First of all, the 14-year-old Vietnamese player pulled off a surprise in the second round of the Bangladesh International Challenge. Thu Huyen took on Joanne Ng, a 22-year-old Malaysian player who is currently ranked 208th in the world and was the tournament’s No. 4 seed.

Against an opponent who was eight years older and more than 800 places higher in the rankings, Thu Huyen unexpectedly achieved a victory with a score of 21-17, 21-11.

Thu Huyen then won one more match before being eliminated in the semi-finals. This performance saw her rise 650 places to 392nd in the world rankings.

Thu Huyen then impressed during the Bangladesh International Series, which took place shortly afterwards. She won four matches and reached the quarterfinals.

In both tournaments, Thu Huyen consistently competed against opponents who were 4 to 8 years older and hundreds of places higher in the rankings.

The girl from Hai Duong won a total of 9 international competitions in December. This performance saw her rise from 392nd to 328th in the world rankings published on New Year’s Day.

In just one month, Thu Huyen jumped no less than 714 places, from 1042nd to 328th in the world rankings. This is considered a historic jump in top badminton and the most impressive rise in the rankings at the start of this year.

Currently, Thu Huyen has also overtaken many experienced players such as Ngoc Van and Phuong Thuy and is the fourth highest ranked tennis player in Vietnam, behind only Thuy Linh (world ranking 22), Vu Thi Trang (138) and Bich Phuong (317).