Son Wan-ho
South Korean badminton player (born 1988)
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Son Wan-ho (Korean: 손완호; Korean pronunciation: [so.nwan.ɦo] or [son] [wan.ɦo]; born 17 May 1988[1]) is a South Korean badminton player. He reached a career high as world number 1 in the men's singles in May 2017.[2] He competed at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He plays primarily defensively, and began playing badminton after a teacher suggested it to him in elementary school.[citation needed] He holds a bachelor's degree from Inha University in Incheon, South Korea.[3] In 2017, he helped the Korean national team reach the final at the Sudirman Cup and won that tournament.[4][5] He is married to compatriot women's singles player, Sung Ji-hyun.[6]

Son at the 2023 Kaohsiung Masters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 17 May 1988 Changwon, South Gyeongsang, South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2006–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 143 lb (65 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Badminton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 343 wins, 190 losses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | 1 (25 May 2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | 281 (29 October 2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BWF profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Achievements
BWF World Championships
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland | 17–21, 14–21 |
East Asian Games
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hong Kong | 12–21, 21–23 |
Summer Universiade
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Hwasun Hanium Culture Sports Center, Hwasun, South Korea | 20–22, 21–13, 17–21 |
BWF World Tour (3 titles)
The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[7] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tours are divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 (part of the HSBC World Tour), and the BWF Tour Super 100.[8]
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Hong Kong Open | Super 500 | 14–21, 21–17, 21–13 | ||
| 2018 | Korea Masters | Super 300 | 21–16, 21–11 | ||
| 2019 | Malaysia Masters | Super 500 | 21–17, 21–19 |
BWF Superseries (2 titles, 5 runners-up)
The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007,[9] 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.[10] Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | India Open | 21–18, 14–21, 21–19 | ||
| 2012 | China Masters | 21–11, 14–21, 22–24 | ||
| 2014 | Denmark Open | 19–21, 22–24 | ||
| 2014 | Hong Kong Open | 21–19, 21–16 | ||
| 2016 | Singapore Open | 16–21, 21–13, 14–21 | ||
| 2016 | Korea Open | 11–21, 23–21, 7–21 | ||
| 2016 | Denmark Open | 13–21, 21–23 |
- BWF Superseries Finals tournament
- BWF Superseries Premier tournament
- BWF Superseries tournament
BWF Grand Prix (4 titles, 2 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 singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Chinese Taipei Open | 14–21, 11–21 | ||
| 2011 | Korea Grand Prix Gold | 18–21, 16–21 | ||
| 2013 | Chinese Taipei Open | 19–21, 21–9, 21–18 | ||
| 2013 | Macau Open | 21–11, 21–15 | ||
| 2013 | Vietnam Open | 21–14, 21–9 | ||
| 2016 | Korea Masters | 21–13, 21–16 |
- BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
- BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series (2 runners-up)
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Osaka International | 21–19, 11–21, 11–21 | ||
| 2024 | Thailand International | 8–21, 0–6 retired |
- BWF International Challenge tournament
- BWF International Series tournament
Record against selected opponents
Record against Year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists. Accurate as of 1 December 2022.[11]
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