Wikipedia

Beiwen Zhang

Beiwen Zhang (simplified Chinese: 张蓓雯; traditional Chinese: 張蓓雯; pinyin: Zhāng Bèiwén; born 12 July 1990) is a badminton player who is a singles specialist. Born in China, she previously represented Singapore and currently represents the United States.[1] She won the women's singles title at the 2021 Pan Am Championships and at the 2023 Pan American Games.[2][3]

Beiwen Zhang
张蓓雯
Zhang at 2017 Indonesia Super Series Premier
Personal information
CountryChina (1990–2007)
Singapore (2007–2021)
United States (2021–present)
Born (1990-07-12) 12 July 1990 (age 34)
Anshan, Liaoning, China
ResidenceLas Vegas, Nevada, United States
Height1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
HandednessRight
Women's singles
Career record356 wins, 192 losses
Highest ranking9 (22 June 2017)
Current ranking10 (29 October 2024)
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Santiago Women's singles
Pan Am Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Guatemala City Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 2024 Guatemala City Women's singles
Silver medal – second place 2022 San Salvador Women's singles
Silver medal – second place 2023 Kingston Women's singles
Pan Am Mixed Team Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Guadalajara Mixed team
Pan Am Female Badminton Cup
Silver medal – second place 2024 São Paulo Women's team
Representing  Singapore
Southeast Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Vientiane Women's team
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Waitakere City Mixed team
BWF profile

Career

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2003–2013: Singapore

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Zhang was born in China and moved to Singapore at the age of 13 in 2003, under the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme,[4] and played with the Singapore National Team until 2012.[4] In 2007, Zhang took up Singapore citizenship.[4]

In 2009, she was part of the Singapore national badminton team, winning a bronze medal at the women's team event of the 2009 Southeast Asian Games.[5] After a one-year break in which she did not play any tournaments at all, in 2013, she came back on her way to reach top level again.

In 2011, her contract with the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) was not renewed after a reported falling out with then-singles head coach Luan Ching over a curfew.[4]

2013–present: United States

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In 2013, Zhang moved to Las Vegas with her parents and continued playing the sport. That same year, she won four international challenge tournaments with singles titles at the Swiss International in Yverdon-les-Bains; the Yonex USA International in Orlando, Florida; the Yonex Welsh International in Cardiff; and the Carlton Irish Open International in Dublin. In 2014, she continued her winning streak for her new country the US, with victories in Peru, the US, Brazil and the Netherlands. She won her first Grand Prix title at the 2014 U.S. Open Grand Prix Gold, then won the 2014 Brazil Open Grand Prix and 2014 Dutch Open Grand Prix.[6]

In 2016, Zhang started to compete in the Danish Badminton League, for Vendsyssel Elite Badminton.[7] Zhang reached the final round at a BWF Super Series event, the French Open, for the first time, but finished as the runner-up after losing the final to He Bingjiao of China in straight games.[8] In 2018, she won her first BWF World Tour title at the India Open, defeating host player and defending champion P. V. Sindhu with the score 21–18, 11–21, 22–20 in the final.[9]

In 2021, Zhang competed in her first Pan Am Championships and clinched the women's singles title after beating Rachel Chan of Canada in straight games.[2] On March the same year, she became a naturalized U.S. citizen.[10] She then competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Her bid for a medal was cut short, however, when she suffered an apparent achilles injury during a match against He Bingjiao of China in the round of 16.[11]

Zhang started the 2023 season in Asia by competing in Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and Thailand，where her best performance was entering the quarter-finals in India. Her performance improved on tour in Europe, by being a finalist in the Orléans Masters, semi-finalist in the Swiss Open, and also quarter-finalist in the Spain Masters. She then took part in the Pan Am Championships in Jamaica, and won the women's singles silver medal. Zhang's form picked up in recent months. She finished runner-up at the Taipei Open in June, made the Canada Open semi-finals and reached the Japan Open quarter-finals in July. She then won her first World Tour title in five years in the Australian Open in August, beating Kim Ga-eun in the final.[12] In October, she claimed the gold medal in the women's singles in her debut at the Pan American Games.[3]

Achievements

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Pan American Games

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2023 Olympic Training Center, Santiago, Chile   Jennie Gai 21–8, 21–12   Gold

Pan American Championships

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2021 Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, Guatemala City, Guatemala   Rachel Chan 21–14, 21–18   Gold
2022 Palacio de los Deportes Carlos "El Famoso" Hernández, San Salvador, El Salvador   Michelle Li 18–21, 21–16, 23–25   Silver
2023 G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport, Kingston, Jamaica   Michelle Li 19–21, 9–21   Silver
2024 Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium, Guatemala City, Guatemala   Michelle Li 21–18, 18–21, 21–17   Gold

BWF World Tour (3 titles, 5 runners-up)

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The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[13] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and the BWF Tour Super 100.[14]

Women's singles

Year Tournament Level Opponent Score Result
2018 India Open Super 500   P. V. Sindhu 21–18, 11–21, 22–20   Winner
2018 U.S. Open Super 300   Li Xuerui 26–24, 15–21, 11–21   Runner-up
2018 Korea Open Super 500   Nozomi Okuhara 10–21, 21–17, 16–21   Runner-up
2023 Orléans Masters Super 300   Carolina Marín 23–25, 21–9, 10–21   Runner-up
2023 Taipei Open Super 300   Tai Tzu-ying 14–21, 17–21   Runner-up
2023 Australian Open Super 500   Kim Ga-eun 20–22, 21–16, 21–8   Winner
2023 Hylo Open Super 300   Line Kjærsfeldt 21–18, 16–21, 21–16   Winner
2024 U.S. Open Super 300   Natsuki Nidaira 21–17, 18–21, 22–24   Runner-up

BWF Superseries (1 runner-up)

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The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007,[15] was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries levels were Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consisted of twelve tournaments around the world that had been introduced since 2011.[16] Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.

Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2016 French Open   He Bingjiao 9–21 9–21   Runner-up
  BWF Superseries Finals tournament
  BWF Superseries Premier tournament
  BWF Superseries tournament

BWF Grand Prix (7 titles, 2 runner-up)

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The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.

Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2008 Vietnam Open   Xing Aiying 11–21, 21–19, 22–20   Winner[17]
2014 U.S. Open   Kana Ito 21–8, 21–17   Winner
2014 Brasil Open   Kaori Imabeppu 6–11, 11–5, 4–11, 11–8, 11–9   Winner
2014 Dutch Open   Pai Yu-po 11–9, 11–7, 11–8   Winner
2014 U.S. Grand Prix   Rachel Honderich 21–11, 21–13   Winner
2016 Canada Open   Michelle Li Walkover   Runner-up
2016 Dutch Open   Hsu Ya-ching 21–11, 21–19   Winner
2017 Dutch Open   Michelle Li 21–16, 21–14   Winner
2017 Bitburger Open   Nitchaon Jindapol 17–21, 21–15, 19–21   Runner-up
  BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
  BWF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series (9 titles, 2 runner-up)

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Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2013 Swiss International   Tanvi Lad 21–12, 21–12   Winner
2013 USA International   Iris Wang 21–10, 21–12   Winner
2013 Welsh International   Beatriz Corrales 21–12, 21–15   Winner
2013 Irish Open   Beatriz Corrales 21–9, 17–21, 21–10   Winner
2014 Peru International   Michelle Li 27–25, 21–19   Winner
2015 USA International   Pai Yu-po 21–14, 13–21, 21–19   Winner
2016 Yonex / K&D Graphics International   Rachel Honderich 21–13, 21–12   Winner

Women's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2005 Croatian International   Fu Mingtian   Frances Liu
  Shinta Mulia Sari 		Walkover   Runner-up
2007 Croatian International   Gu Juan   Cai Jiani
  Guo Xin 		21–15, 6–21, 10–21   Runner-up
2013 USA International   Jing Yu Hong   Paula B Pereira
  Lohaynny Vicente 		21–7, 21–14   Winner
2016 Yonex / K&D Graphics International   Jing Yu Hong   Eva Lee
  Paula Lynn Obañana 		21–17, 22–20   Winner
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

Record against selected opponents

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Record against Year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists. Accurate as of 6 August 2024.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "羽運沙漠的仙人掌 張蓓雯美酒加咖啡" (in Chinese). China Press. 27 December 2015. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b Morgan, Liam (2 May 2021). "Zhang clinches first women's singles title at Pan American Individual Badminton Championships". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. wins four medals at Santiago 2023 Pan American Games". USA Badminton. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Badminton: Zhang makes April date". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Team Singapore Impresses At The 25th SEA Games With 33 Gold Medals". Singapore Sports Council. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Zhang happy her destiny is in her own hands". Today. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Vendsyssel Elite Badminton henter amerikansk forstærkning" (in Danish). TV2/Nord. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Beiwen Zhang Wins Silver Medal at Yonex French Open". Team USA. Archived from the original on 12 November 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Zhang's Finest Hour – Finals: Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2018". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  10. ^ "华裔选手张蓓雯获得美国国籍". 163.com. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  11. ^ "U.S. badminton player Beiwen Zhang retires with injury". KSHB. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Australian Open: Beiwen snaps blip on surgery anniversary". Badminton Pan America. 7 August 2023. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  13. ^ Alleyne, Gayle (19 March 2017). "BWF Launches New Events Structure". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  14. ^ Sukumar, Dev (10 January 2018). "Action-Packed Season Ahead!". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  15. ^ "BWF Launches Super Series". Badminton Australia. 15 December 2006. Archived from the original on 6 October 2007.
  16. ^ "Yonex All England Elevated To BWF Premier Super Series Event". IBadmintonstore. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  17. ^ "VN's top badminton player triumphs at open tourney". Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Beiwen Zhang Head To Head". BWF-Tournament Software. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
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