Thuy Linh's efforts

Although she could not successfully defend her title, what Thuy Linh showed still deserves respect because she showed her efforts, courage and constant desire to fight.

Thuy Linh (number 1 seed, world No. 18) lost 0-2 to Chinese tennis player Cai Yan Yan (world No. 107) in the women's singles final. Although Cai Yan Yan is currently ranked quite low, she once reached a career-high position of 14 in the world and won a Super 300 level tournament.

In the past, she suffered an injury that caused her ranking to decline, but when she returned to her original level, the Chinese tennis player did not let Thuy Linh win the championship for the fourth time. Therefore, Thuy Linh's loss to Cai Yan Yan, although a bit regretful, was not disappointing. Before that, the number 1 tennis player of Vietnam showed great effort in the journey to the final, including 2 consecutive matches in the second round and the quarterfinals, she needed 3 sets to win.

Entering this year's tournament, Thuy Linh was under a lot of pressure, especially when she had won the championship 3 times before (2022, 2023, 2024). This was both a motivation and a burden on the 28-year-old tennis player's shoulders when the expectations of the fans were very high. However, with her courage and extensive experience, Thuy Linh did not falter. She entered the field with high determination, playing with full concentration against each opponent, despite the fact that they increasingly studied their playing style to find ways to counter her.

Throughout the tournament, Thuy Linh went through intense matches that lasted 3 sets, consuming a lot of her physical strength. From there, fans witnessed the image of a stubborn, resilient Thuy Linh, ready to save every difficult shot, turning the situation around at crucial moments. Although sometimes disadvantaged in terms of physical strength and speed, she still maintained her fighting spirit, not giving up in the face of any challenge.

The final match was the biggest challenge. Thuy Linh's opponent had youth, strong attacking ability and a more relaxed mentality. Many spectators felt regretful, but from that moment, people admired the brave spirit of the girl from Phu Tho even more. The tennis player born in 1997 did not collapse or stay disappointed for too long, but immediately after the match, she smiled, shared her gratitude with the audience and affirmed that she would come back stronger.

Thuy Linh expressed: “Every year, the audience follows me on the small screen during 18-20 tournaments across the continents. Although the time is always different, but whether it is late at night or early in the morning, everyone will always follow and support Linh. Everyone's love for Linh is great. At Vietnam Open 2025, Linh always feels happy every time she stands on the field, listening to everyone cheering for hours at each match. It is a wonderful time, no matter what the result is. Linh is truly grateful to everyone.”

Vietnam's No. 1 female tennis player added: “To reach the finals for the fourth consecutive time, to be honest, to reach the final match is not an easy task. However, by some luck, Linh was still standing on the field until the last match, the stands were full and everyone shouted "Thuy Linh". Everyone has truly lived the same passion as Linh, everyone has fought with Linh. Thanks, gratitude, happiness, pride... are all that Linh can send to all the badminton fans of the country during the past time. Perhaps in her career journey, Linh has no other wish.”

Vietnam Open 2025 has ended, Thuy Linh is no longer on the highest podium, but in the hearts of fans, she is still a champion. With what she has shown, we believe that today's failure will only be a stepping stone for Thuy Linh to reach new heights in the future.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/no-luc-cua-thuy-linh-168708.html