PETALING JAYA: Former world No. 1 Shi Yuqi may be sidelined by injury, but he had plenty to celebrate after tying the knot on Sunday (Nov 1).

The 30-year-old Chinese shuttler married e-sports streamer Jiang Dan in a private ceremony in his hometown of Nantong, Jiangsu, just weeks after applying for a protected ranking as he takes time off to recover from shoulder and back injuries.

Jiang Dan, also known as Jiang Dandan, previously worked in television journalism before becoming an e-sports streamer, playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS) and Delta Force.

The couple reportedly met through their shared interest in gaming.

Their relationship became public in 2025, with Yuqi reportedly proposing in July this year before their engagement was announced in October.

Although the former world champion intended to keep the occasion private, photographs and videos of the newlyweds singing a duet of Taiwanese band Mayday's "Lian Ai ING" in their wedding attire during the banquet went viral on social media.

Among the guests were Yuqi's longtime coach and former world champion Sun Jun, who attended with his wife, and former national shuttler Lei Lanxi.

Yuqi's latest 30-week stint at the top of the world rankings ended in August after injuries forced him to withdraw from several tournaments, including the Arctic, Denmark and French Opens.

His protected ranking will allow him to use his current ranking of No. 8 to enter tournaments when he returns, although an official comeback date has yet to be confirmed.