Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah prove their friendship fuels success, winning at All England and dominating the world women’s doubles scene.

THE powerful bond between Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah extends far beyond the badminton court—and it may be the secret behind their rise as one of the world’s most formidable women’s doubles pairings.

The world No. 2 duo’s close friendship helped them claim a silver medal at last year’s Paris World Championships and win the Indonesia Masters title in January.

“She is my best friend not only on the court but also off the court, so fighting together out there is something really special,” said Pearly after the Malaysians overcame Japan’s Chiharu Shida and Arisa Igarashi 21-19, 21-13 in the first round of the All England on Wednesday.

The victory in Birmingham also avenged their second-round loss to the same Japanese pair at the Denmark Open last October, underlining Pearly-Thinaah’s growing dominance.

“We have strong belief in each other and it has become our strong point. So I’m really happy to play beside her,” Pearly was quoted as saying. 

Thinaah highlighted how navigating friction during training has prepared them for high-pressure matches.

“During training, there were misunderstandings and ups and downs, but we solved those problems so they wouldn’t happen in matches,” she said.

Their remarkable synergy has kept them from exiting before the quarter-finals in all but three of their last 22 tournaments, a stretch that included four titles last year. 

In contrast, world No. 2 Carmen Ting-Ong Xin Yee was eliminated after falling 21-17, 21-8 to Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto.

 The Sun Malaysia