Who are the highest-paid badminton players in 2026? The cleanest way to answer that question is to look at documented BWF tournament prize money, not estimated net worth.
That distinction matters. Net worth can include sponsorships, businesses, property and other private income. Career prize money is narrower: it tracks what players have earned from official tournaments.
In 2026, An Se Young became the first badminton player in history to pass $3 million in career prize money, setting a new benchmark for the sport.
If you are looking for overall wealth rather than tournament earnings, see our richest badminton players in the world ranking.
Highest-paid badminton players in 2026: career prize money leaders
The ranking below focuses on singles players and published BWF career prize-money totals available during 2026. Because prize money changes every tournament, figures should be treated as a dated snapshot rather than a permanent all-time table.
| Rank | Player | Country | Career prize money | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Se Young | South Korea | $3.06M+ | Active |
| 2 | Viktor Axelsen | Denmark | About $2.29M | Retired in 2026 |
| 3 | Akane Yamaguchi | Japan | About $2.25M+ | Active |
| 4 | Chen Yufei | China | About $1.73M+ | Active |
| 5 | Shi Yuqi | China | About $1.71M+ | Active |
| 6 | Ratchanok Intanon | Thailand | About $1.43M+ | Active |
| 7 | Chou Tien Chen | Chinese Taipei | About $1.39M+ | Active |
| 8 | Anders Antonsen | Denmark | About $1.29M+ | Active |
| 9 | P. V. Sindhu | India | About $1.06M+ | Active |
| 10 | Jonatan Christie | Indonesia | About $1.04M+ | Active |
Method note: the April 23, 2026 published singles leaderboard placed these players in this order. An Se Young later crossed $3 million after winning the Indonesia Open in June, while several active players have continued adding prize money since then. The table therefore uses rounded 2026 reference figures rather than pretending every number is a live real-time total.
1. An Se Young — the first $3 million badminton player
An Se Young has changed the ceiling for badminton prize money.
After winning the 2026 Indonesia Open, her career BWF prize money reached roughly $3.06 million, making her the first badminton player — male or female — to pass the $3 million mark.
The milestone is even more striking because An is still in the middle of her career. In 2025 she also became the first badminton player to earn more than $1 million in prize money in a single season.
Her income profile shows how the modern BWF World Tour can reward sustained dominance across Super 750, Super 1000 and World Tour Finals events.
2. Viktor Axelsen — the benchmark An Se Young passed
For years, Viktor Axelsen represented the financial benchmark for modern badminton singles.
By April 2026, his career BWF prize money stood at approximately $2.29 million. His earnings were built through Olympic success, World Championships, World Tour Finals titles and repeated victories at the sport’s richest Super 1000 events.
Axelsen’s total is especially important historically because it shows how much badminton prize money expanded during the World Tour era.
3. Akane Yamaguchi — one of badminton’s most consistent earners
Akane Yamaguchi entered 2026 already among the sport’s biggest career prize-money earners, with published totals around $2.25 million by April.
Her long-term consistency matters. Multiple world titles, deep runs in elite events and repeated appearances in Super 750 and Super 1000 finals have allowed Yamaguchi to accumulate prize money over many seasons rather than relying on one extraordinary year.
She also continued to add major 2026 earnings, including a Singapore Open runner-up prize and a China Open title later in the season.
4. Chen Yufei — elite consistency keeps her near the top
Chen Yufei had earned roughly $1.73 million in BWF tournament prize money by April 2026, placing her among the leading active singles players.
Her 2026 season continued to add to that figure through deep runs at the Malaysia Masters, Singapore Open, Indonesia Open and Japan Open.
Chen’s position illustrates an important point: career prize money rewards longevity and repeated late-round appearances almost as much as headline titles.
5. Shi Yuqi — the leading Chinese men’s singles earner
Shi Yuqi was around the $1.7 million career prize-money mark in 2026.
His earnings reflect years at the top of men’s singles, including All England success, World Tour Finals titles and consistent appearances in high-value World Tour events.
Unlike sponsorship-based wealth estimates, this figure is tied directly to results on court.
Why prize money is different from net worth
This is the most important distinction in any “highest-paid badminton players” ranking.
| Metric | What it includes | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| Career prize money | Official tournament payouts | Comparing documented on-court earnings |
| Annual earnings | Prize money plus some reported salary/bonuses | Who made the most in a specific year |
| Net worth | Estimated assets, sponsorships, businesses and other wealth | Estimating overall financial wealth |
| Sponsorship income | Brand contracts and endorsements | Commercial value off court |
That is why a player can rank first in career prize money without necessarily being the richest badminton player by estimated net worth.
How much can badminton players win at major tournaments?
The biggest World Tour events can materially change a player’s earnings in a single week.
At the 2026 Indonesia Open, a Super 1000 tournament, the women’s singles champion earned $101,500. At the 2026 China Open, singles champions received $140,000 each.
That means repeated success at Super 750 and Super 1000 level can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to a player’s career total in one season.
But prize money is not distributed equally across every event. Lower-tier tournaments pay much less, and doubles prize money is typically shared between partners.
Who earned the most badminton prize money in one season?
An Se Young set the modern benchmark in 2025 when her season prize money exceeded $1 million.
That record explains why she overtook previous career leaders so quickly. One dominant season at today’s richer World Tour events can add an amount that would have taken elite players several seasons to earn in earlier eras.
What about Lee Chong Wei, Tai Tzu Ying and other retired legends?
A broader all-time BWF prize-money list also includes retired legends who remain historically important.
At the end of 2025, published BWF figures placed Tai Tzu Ying at about $2.19 million, Lee Chong Wei at about $1.81 million, and former Olympic champion Chen Long above $1.3 million.
They do not appear in the main 2026 active-singles-focused table above because this article is designed primarily around players competing in or immediately around the 2026 season.
Lee Chong Wei’s total remains especially notable because much of his career came before today’s larger World Tour prize pools.
Does the highest prize money mean the player is the richest?
No.
Prize money is only one income stream. Elite badminton players can also earn from equipment deals, apparel sponsorships, national-team salaries, league contracts, appearance fees, bonuses and businesses.
That is why our richest badminton players article and this prize-money ranking answer two different search questions.
Highest-paid badminton players FAQ
An Se Young became the first badminton player in history to exceed $3 million in career BWF tournament prize money in June 2026.
Her career total reached approximately $3.06 million after winning the 2026 Indonesia Open. She has continued competing since then, so her live total can move higher with each tournament.
No. Prize money is tournament income. Net worth is an estimate of total wealth and can include sponsorships, businesses, investments and other assets.
Published 2026 figures put Viktor Axelsen at roughly $2.29 million in BWF career prize money.
Yes. For globally marketable stars, sponsorships and endorsements can be worth as much as or more than tournament payouts, but those contracts are often private and harder to verify.
The richest BWF World Tour events, especially Super 1000 tournaments and the World Tour Finals, offer the largest individual tournament payouts.
