French Open: ‘It’s Been Perfect’
Paris 2024 Olympic champions Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan played their final match together on the international circuit, bowing out in the YONEX French Open 2025 semifinals to compatriots Li Yi Jing/Luo Xu Min 21-16 21-17.
· DIANNE PIERRE
The defeat marked the end of an extraordinary partnership that has rewritten the record books for women's badminton. Since pairing up in 2014, Chen/Jia have accumulated four World Championships titles (2017, 2021, 2022, 2023), Olympic gold at Paris 2024, silver at Tokyo 2020, two Asian Championship gold and 19 HSBC BWF World Tour titles. They also hold the record for the most World Championships women's doubles titles by the same pair.
Their reunion of three recent tournaments; Korea Masters, Denmark Open and French Open represented a fitting curtain call. The pair split after the Paris Olympics to help others gain experience and exposure, a decision that has yielded mixed results. Jia flourished with Zhang Shu Xian, claiming the China Masters title while Chen has struggled to replicate that magic with Wang Ting Ge and Keng Shu Liang.
"I don't know how to answer that question. There are so many memories," said Chen when asked what she would remember most about their partnership. "To be able to return to a high level and reach back-to-back semifinals, we are really satisfied."