Zhang Nan (badminton)

Zhang Nan (born 1 March 1990) is a retired Chinese badminton player who specializes in both men's and mixed doubles. He found much success in mixed doubles with his former partner Zhao Yunlei. They won gold in 2012 Summer Olympics, 3 golds in BWF World Championships in 2011, 2014 and 2015 and a gold at the 2014 Asian Games. Having won all major events as a pair, they are considered one of the most successful mixed doubles pairs of all time. Zhang Nan himself is considered to be one of the all-time greats of badminton.

Having found huge success in mixed doubles with Zhao, Zhang partnered Fu Haifeng with whom he won gold in 2016 Summer Olympics. After this, Fu retired and Zhang partnered Liu Cheng and became World Champion in the men's doubles at the 2017 BWF World Championships.

Career
Zhang Nan is a badminton player who has achieved success in both men's and mixed doubles. In the men's doubles he has been paired with Chai Biao, Fu Haifeng, Lu Kai, Liu Cheng and Ou Xuanyi; while in the mixed doubles he has been paired with Lu Lu, Tang Jinhua, Zhao Yunlei and Li Yinhui.

2010
He participated in the 2010 Thomas Cup in Kuala Lumpur, playing for China. He also played in 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Zhang has achieved one of the three most prestigious badminton titles, winning the All England Open that year with Zhao Yunlei, winning over Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir of Indonesia, 21–18, 23–25, 21–18, the first pair to win the title as qualifiers.

Zhang has a larger achievement with Zhao in the mixed doubles event rather than with Chai. Zhang and Zhao won the Japan Open title, beating compatriots Tao Jiaming and Tian Qing in the final, 21–19, 22–20. Meanwhile, Zhang and Chai's journey in Tokyo was ended by seniors Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng in the semi-finals, losing 17–21 and 16–21.

In China Open, Zhang attended the men's and mixed doubles finals but he lost in both events. In the men's doubles, South Korea's Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae emerged as the winners as they downed Zhang and Chai in straight sets, 21–15 and 21–12. In the mixed doubles final, Tao Jiaming and Tian Qing took revenge with a 21–18, 21–17 triumph over Zhang and Zhao.

Zhang only played in mixed doubles in the last Super Series tournament of 2010, Hong Kong Open. Seeded fifth, he and Zhao reached the final but lost in a long three-set match against Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark 20–22, 21–14, and 20–22.

2011
Zhang and Zhao were qualified to play in the 2010 Super Series Finals Taiwan. They became the winner by beating Thailand's Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thungthongkam 21–17, 21–12 in the final. Zhang and Chai also played in the Super Series Finals, yet both were conquered by Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae in the last four 15–21 and 11–21 in just 30 minutes.

Once again, Zhang and Zhao met Tao Jiaming and Tian Qing, now in Korea Open final. Zhang and Zhao vanquished their teammates 21–17, 13–21, and 21–19 to become the first winners of a Super Series Premier.

2012
In July–August at the London Olympics, he won the gold medal at the mixed doubles event with Zhao Yunlei, beating compatriots Xu Chen and Ma Jin in the gold medal match, 21–11, 21–17.

2016
At the 2016 Olympics, Zhang and Zhao, the defending champions in the mixed doubles event, lost in the semi-final, but successfully clinched a bronze medal after winning a rematch of the last edition's final, beating Xu Chen and Ma Jin in straight games again. On the other hand, Zhang won the gold medal with Fu Haifeng in the men's doubles event, beating Malaysians Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong in a tightly-fought match, 16–21, 21–11, 23–21. They saved two gold medal points during the third game, and eventually converted one on their first opportunity.

2017
Zhang won the World Championships in the men's doubles event with Liu Cheng, defeating Indonesians Mohammad Ahsan and Rian Agung Saputro in the final, 21–10, 21–17 to win the gold medal.

2022: Resignation from the Chinese national badminton team
Zhang announced his resignation from the Chinese national team in late August on his Weibo account, stating that he would continue to play badminton as an independent player with the permission of the Chinese Badminton Association.

2023
Zhang made his return to the international badminton circuit as an independent player by participating in the men's and mixed doubles events in the 2023 Ruichang China Masters.

Olympic Games
Men's doubles

Mixed doubles

BWF World Championships
Men's doubles

Mixed doubles

Asian Games
Mixed doubles

Asian Championships
Men's doubles

Mixed doubles

East Asian Games
Men's doubles

BWF World Junior Championships
Mixed doubles

Asian Junior Championships
Boys' doubles

Mixed doubles

BWF World Tour (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018, 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.

Men's doubles

Mixed doubles

BWF Superseries (31 titles, 15 runners-up)
The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007, 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. Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.

Men's doubles

Mixed doubles
 * Superseries Finals Tournament
 * Superseries Premier Tournament
 * Superseries Tournament

BWF Grand Prix (7 titles, 4 runners-up)
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.

Men's doubles

Mixed doubles
 * BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
 * BWF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series (1 title)
Men's doubles
 * BWF International Challenge tournament
 * BWF International Series tournament
 * BWF Future Series tournament

Personal life
He started a relationship with his mixed doubles partner Zhao Yunlei in 2010. However, before 2016 Summer Olympics, Zhao Yunlei announced that she and Zhang Nan were no longer together. He later married another Chinese badminton player Tian Qing in November 2018.