Top 5 men’s singles badminton players of 2016

#5 Shi Yuqi (China)

There’s no doubt that Yuqi is set to climb even greater heights soon

China’s next generation is already following in the footsteps of Lin Dan and Chen Long. 20-year-old Shi Yuqi had a prolific junior career, winning the Youth Olympics, the Asian Junior Championships, apart from a silver medal at the World Junior Championships in 2014.

In just two years, the youngster has already started asserting himself at the top level of the sport. The Chinese began the season by reaching the final of the Syed Modi International where he narrowly lost. That run prepped him up for a very strong 2016.

He triumphed at the Indonesian Masters, then took it a step further by winning his maiden Superseries title at the French Open and added the Bitburger Open crown as well, en route to breaking into the top 10. There’s no doubt that Yuqi is set to climb even greater heights soon.