Chiharu Shida, one of Japan’s most promising badminton talents, has built a reputation for her sharp reflexes, graceful footwork, and unwavering focus on the court.
But in recent weeks, the 27-year-old captured global attention for reasons that extend beyond her athletic prowess – publicly addressing the invasive fan culture that shadows many women athletes.
In an Instagram post, Shida called on fans in China to stop following her and invading her personal space, describing the repeated stalking as distressing and frightening.
The athlete, who won a bronze medal in women’s doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics with her long-time partner Nami Matsuyama, made the appeal in a Chinese-language Instagram post while competing at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo.
“Thank you to everyone for your continued support, but I would like to request something from all my fans,” she wrote. “We have been stalked every time we compete in China, it has already been going on for a year and a half. Recently, we’ve been feeling very uncomfortable and very scared.”
While Shida did not clarify who she meant by “we”, she and Matsuyama, currently ranked world number three, have a prominent fanbase across East Asia, particularly in China, where Shida is often referred to in media as a “badminton goddess”.
She acknowledged that most supporters were respectful but warned that if the harassment continued, she would be forced to “think of a way to handle it”.
Shida also urged fans to focus on her matches, not her private life. “Please immediately stop the stalking and similar behaviour,” she wrote. “Finally, please focus on us in the stadium, not on our private lives. Thanks again.”
The shuttler’s celebrity in China surged after the Paris Olympics, where her court presence captured local media attention. Her Instagram following has since soared past one million.
In August last year, she shared lighthearted photos with Chinese rival Tan Ning on social media, showing the two mimicking animated characters Judy and Nick from Zootopia, as well as My Melody and Kuromi from the Japanese Sanrio universe.
“Although we yelled at each other on court, we are close to each other outside the court,” wrote Shida. “She is a very interesting and cute kid.”
Tan, who along with her partner Liu Shengshu defeated Shida and Matsuyama in the Olympic semifinals, reposted the images with the caption, “you [are] cute more than me”.
Despite their loss, the Japanese duo bounced back to win bronze, beating Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Muralitharan Thinaah in straight sets.
On the podium, Shida was seen smiling and winking at Tan – a moment that further charmed Chinese fans, many of whom took to social media to jokingly plead for Tan not to steal their “goddess”, reported South China Morning Post.
A native of Japan born in 1997, Shida first gained attention after winning a bronze at the 2014 Asian Junior Badminton Championship. Her first senior international title came at the 2016 Vietnam International, followed by a victory at the 2018 Taiwan Open.
With Matsuyama, her trusted partner, Shida climbed to a career-high world ranking of number two in 2022.
The duo experienced a 15-month title drought after their last win at the China Masters in November 2023. However, that dry spell ended with a dramatic victory at the prestigious All England Open in March 2025. The pair defeated compatriots Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto in a tense 83-minute final to reclaim the title they last won in 2022.
“Every year, we talk about wanting to win this tournament,” said Shida, according to Kyodo News. “We were disappointed to finish as runners-up last year, but I’m really happy we won this time.”
The pair’s path back to the top wasn’t easy. Matsuyama had taken a brief break at the start of the season, during which Shida played with veteran Misaki Matsutomo in a temporary pairing. The reunion paid off with a powerful comeback on the circuit.
“We were exhausted physically and emotionally and we were not in condition,” Shida said, reflecting on the period after the Olympics. “Over the year end we really worked on strength and condition during training, and I believe that has worked for us.”
Away from the court, Shida has also shown interest in exploring the world of media. When sidelined by injury during the Malaysia Open in January 2023, she tried her hand at post-match interviews, surprising teammate Akane Yamaguchi by appearing as a rookie TV reporter. “I was more nervous behind the camera than in front of it,” she admitted, after enjoying a stint wearing the official Badminton World Federation jacket.
