Source: Action Images/Andrew Boyers
[Saba Sports News] Chinese badminton champions Liu Yuchen and Huang Yaqiong were spotted taking a photo with Hendra Setiawan, a Grand Slam winner, and his family during the Indonesian Open. The photo, shared by fans on China’s largest badminton forum, shows Hendra’s daughter and youngest son sitting comfortably on the laps of Huang Yaqiong and Liu Yuchen respectively, creating a heartwarming scene that has been widely praised by badminton enthusiasts. It is reported that Liu Yuchen enjoys a close friendship with Hendra’s family, to the extent that Hendra jokingly refers to Liu as his eldest son. Hendra, a decorated athlete with Olympic gold, world championship, and Asian Games medals, is still active in competition despite being close to 40 years old, maintaining his legendary status in Indonesian badminton. Some observers speculated that Huang Yaqiong’s public confession of love could indicate the couple’s intention to retire after the Olympics, with the Paris Games potentially marking their final competitive outing. This speculation arose after Liu Yuchen expressed his thoughts through social media following the Indonesian Open, hinting that it might be his last appearance at the Istora Arena, sparking rumors about his impending retirement.