Generation 9x hasn't stepped up, Gen 0x is already on court: The story of succession pressure in Vietnamese women's badminton

Hook

In the 32nd minute of the women's singles final at the 2026 National Championships, Thuy Linh stepped back to receive a smash from her opponent. The 16-year-old player, Vu Thi Anh Thu, had just entered the court from the junior team. That smash was within reach, but Thuy Linh handled it with a soft block — the shuttle fell on the opposite side of the court without a sound. The 3,000 spectators in Binh Duong Indoor Stadium fell silent. I sat in the press row, jotting down in my notebook: a moment that wasn't in anyone's script.

Context

Vietnamese women's badminton is living in a paradox. On one hand, this is a golden age for international achievement: Thuy Linh entered the top 30 in the world, secured a ticket to the Paris 2026 Olympics — the first time a Vietnamese female shuttler has done so in 12 years. On the other hand, the reserve force is alarmingly thin. At the 2026 National Championships, the women's singles quarterfinals featured only two players under 20. The 9x generation — players born between 2026 and 2026 — still occupies 80% of starting slots. They haven't yet reached their peak, but the 0x generation — those born in 2026 or later — is already eager to take over the court.

Core

I have been following Vietnamese women's badminton since my early days as a print journalist in Binh Duong, back in 2026. Back then, the top female shuttler was Tran Thi Thanh Thao — a burdened older sister. She played with bandaged legs, no sports nutritionist, no sponsors. In those days, earning a SEA Games berth was already a miracle. Thao did it in 2026, then 2026, then 2026. But she never spoke about her sacrifices. I asked her once: "Why don't you complain?" She looked at me: "Complain for what? The court doesn't discriminate by gender, only the gaze discriminates the player."

Now, 15 years later, I see the same pattern repeating. Thuy Linh, 26, is the only Vietnamese female shuttler in the BWF top 100. She has defeated opponents stronger in physique and stamina, like South Korea's Kim Ga-eun at the 2026 Thailand Open. But Thuy Linh's journey is not without cracks. The pressure from the younger generation — especially Anh Thu and 14-year-old Nguyen Thi Hai Dang (2026 Asian U15 champion) — is pushing her into a double race: maintaining international form while proving her mettle at home.

I tracked Thuy Linh's competition schedule since the start of 2026. She participated in 8 international tournaments in 6 months, traveling across 5 countries, playing a total of 72 official matches. That number is double that of a Chinese female shuttler of similar ranking. "People call it leaving, I call it finding my half of the court" — that was what she once told me after a loss in Indonesia. Half the court, for Thuy Linh, is a choice: either live in the shadow of small tournaments, or step into the light with the risk of injury and burnout.

Contrarian

People often think that pressure from the younger generation is good for Vietnamese women's badminton: healthy competition creates motivation. But I see the opposite. This "rush-generation" is creating a vicious cycle: the 9x generation hasn't had time to develop peak skills due to lack of funding and tournaments, while the 0x generation jumps in too early, without a solid physical foundation. The result is that no one reaches their true potential.

Take the example of a male shuttler: Dang Van Tinh, 18, reached the final of the 2026 Asian U19 Championships. He has good technique, but his stamina only lasts for 2 sets. In the semifinal, he lost after 3 sets with a 15-21 score in the decider — evidence of a lack of basic training. If this happens to a female player, the consequences are even worse, because women's badminton demands double the endurance and recovery ability due to the packed schedule.

Takeaway

I don't know if Vietnamese women's badminton will find a way out. But I believe in one thing: the court does not discriminate by age, only the way we look at it discriminates value. The 9x generation already missed the rhythm, the 0x generation is impatient. But between the two generations, there is a gap that only long-term investors can fill. For now, I just hear the grass growing — and it's rustling in the wind.