Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan: A Decade of Companionship, Becoming the Best for Each Other

Jayce September 6, 2024 13 0

If we turn back the clock to 2014, focusing on the fourth Wednesday of January that year, at the Indian Gold Grand Prix, Chen Qingchen with her neat short hair and her ponytailed partner Jia Yifan made their debut. No one would have expected them to take home the championship a few days later.

Ten years ago, as the rising stars of China’s women’s doubles team, Chen Qingchen with her excellent front-court play and Jia Yifan with her powerful back-court smashes were naturally paired together by their coach. From that moment on, they transformed from parallel lines into intertwined vines. After winning two World Junior Championships and one Asian Junior Championship, they quickly transitioned to the senior circuit, creating one classic moment after another in various tournaments, including the World Championships, Asian Games, and Olympics, and setting a historic record by becoming the four-time women’s doubles champions of both the World Championships and the World Tour Finals.

Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan

There were highs and lows, but they were fortunate to have each other to get through it all. Over the years of partnership, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan have undoubtedly become the most “well-matched” women’s doubles pair in the world.

The Best Reward for Ten Years of Cooperation: 2023 Best Partnership

As they enter their tenth year together, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan remain a constant in an ever-changing world. If having the best travel companion is the greatest luck in life, then having the best partner in doubles is equally fortunate.

From the beginning, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan have been like a kite and the wind. Chen Qingchen is a definite homebody, always activating her protective mechanism when she feels insecure. Even the outgoing Jia Yifan was initially puzzled by this. However, Chen Qingchen’s gradual approach and eventual unwavering commitment made her indispensable to Jia Yifan, who often jokes, “After retiring, I’ll block you first.” Chen Qingchen would always smile and reply, “No, I can’t be without you, Jia!”

“Can you accept failure?” “Yes.” This is the routine conversation between Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan before every match during the 2023 World Tour Finals. For these battle-hardened athletes, in the sprint phase of their second cycle, this ritual helped them eliminate unnecessary mental strain and strengthen their resolve to resonate with each other.

Perhaps, 2023 was full of challenges. In the last group match of the World Tour Finals, their Japanese opponent Nagahara Kana was injured, leading to the cancellation of the match, allowing them to advance to the semifinals early with two wins. But a rest day didn’t mean a day off; “FanChen” continued their regular training regimen.

As the world’s number one women’s doubles pair, they often joke that they lack the natural talent of other players. Only they know the persistence and accumulation of efforts behind the scenes. In the training hall of the Finals, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan were always the most targeted in their practice. On the rest day of the group stage, they continued training as usual. When they noticed Matsumoto Mayu practicing alone with her coach, the outgoing Jia Yifan invited her to join them, leading to a rare and fantastic joint training session.

Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan

They started with a 1v2 offensive and defensive drill. Chen Qingchen admitted that facing the high-pressure attack of two players was her greatest fear. Matsumoto, facing them alone for the first time, was equally challenged. Young player Liu Shengshu later joined the practice, partnering with Matsumoto against “FanChen” in a score-based drill. The intense one-hour training session left everyone out of breath, and coach Tao Jiaming smiled with satisfaction. “How was it? Enough training for today?” Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan replied, “We really worked hard today. We and Mayu were all pushing ourselves, no one wanted to show weakness.”

“FanChen’s” training quality is never a concern for their coach. Approaching their tenth year together, they know how to plan their training schedule. After matches, they often head to the training hall to continue practicing, addressing any issues that arose during the game. Jia Yifan, with her knack for innovative training methods, often observes other teams and quickly adopts effective techniques to practice with Qingchen. Although Chen Qingchen isn’t naturally adept at continuous multi-shuttle drills, a few simple tips from Jia Yifan help her find the knack for hitting the shuttle.

“They have their own language that outsiders can’t understand,” says coach Tao Jiaming, who has witnessed their highs and lows. “I never worry about their training, rather, I sometimes have to hold them back from overtraining. When Qingchen feels insecure, she relies on extra training to relieve stress, pushing herself to the limit. Their ten-year partnership is built on complementary personalities, shared goals, and unified effort.” He believes that every pair has peaks and troughs, but “FanChen’s” mutual support and unyielding spirit are the core of a good doubles team.

Equally unsurprising is that “FanChen” received the 2023 Best Partnership Award from the Badminton World Federation, clinching their fourth Finals title with four straight 2-0 wins. This was their eighth individual championship of the year. On the podium, the two were excited, sneaking glances at the prize money. At that moment, they were just like any young women their age. Compared to the World Championships and the Asian Games a few months earlier, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan now had a different mindset.

Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan

Chen Qingchen: Willing to Open Up Her World

Every year, the end of December is the least busy time for competitions. In December 2023, Chen Qingchen’s parents came to Beijing to spend some time with her. Jia Yifan would always ask, “What did your mom cook for you?” Qingchen’s answer was always warm and considerate, “Even if it doesn’t taste as good as the food at our cafeteria, they are happy just watching me eat.”

Chen Qingchen admits she is quite a homebody. During intense training periods, she would usually only go to a massage parlor on Sundays to relax. However, when her parents visited, she would take them around Beijing, although in winter, they mostly went shopping. Chen Qingchen joked that if she didn’t rest well on Sundays, the fitness coach would notice—“Qingchen, it’s Monday, why are you lacking energy?” She would humorously reply, “Today is not Monday, it’s the eighth day of the week.” This is how Chen Qingchen uses her humor to get through the most familiar days.

Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan

“Dedicated” is how Chen Qingchen defines herself. Over the nine years she has spent with Jia Yifan, filled with ups and downs, their shared experiences have shaped who they are today. In her eyes, “FanChen” has had many remarkable moments, but it’s the numerous challenges they’ve overcome together that have made them who they are now.

Although their pairing was arranged by their coach, after some time, Chen Qingchen felt, “This pairing works well.” In their daily interactions, she admired her partner’s agility and the creative ideas Jia Yifan would come up with when she couldn’t figure something out. “My dedication sometimes made me inflexible, but she led me forward with many suggestions that made me better.” Chen Qingchen often jokes that if they had swapped growth environments, she might have been the one leading Jia Yifan. She is now willing to open up her world.

Chen Qingchen recalls their early days when they faced any strong opponents with the fearlessness of newcomers, feeling a boundless sense of anticipation when called “young and impactful.” They made a name for themselves at the 2017 Glasgow World Championships. But the joy didn’t last long, as they soon encountered difficulties when others studied their game closely. “It felt like we had nothing to beat others with, and we hit a low point.” From late 2017 to 2018, “FanChen” went through a nine-month drought without any victories. “During that time, I first thought about retiring because we couldn’t win, and my partner got injured. I didn’t want to continue.”

Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan

Time shapes a strong sense of destiny and carves out calmness and composure. In 2019, “FanChen” made a comeback. Chen Qingchen realized that the most precious thing was being able to rise again after being thoroughly analyzed by opponents. The feeling was very different from when they were on the offensive, marking a valuable growth.

“Later on, I felt we reached another level, becoming more in sync and stable.” Unlike before when they might suddenly reach the finals or exit early, she became confident that they could consistently reach the top eight or top four, reflecting their progress. “Now, we are familiar with every opponent, focusing more on our performance during the match.”

In this stable phase, Chen Qingchen reflects on the transition from the initial thrill of winning championships to a sense of duty driving her. Occasionally feeling bored, Jia Yifan would remind her, “Think of playing as your job. When you can’t get motivated, you should at least finish your work and do it well.”

During the All England Open in March last year, there was a moment when Chen Qingchen felt indifferent to winning or losing, which scared her. “For an athlete, this mindset is terrifying because it shows you don’t care anymore. Losing didn’t bother me as it used to, I felt indifferent. Previously, I would get serious about losses, thinking about how to win back.”