Badminton's 'golden couple' Chris & Gabby Adcock announce retirement

Chris & Gabby Adcock in action in the Mixed Doubles Final at the Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast
Gabby & Chris Adcock in action in the Mixed Doubles Final at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast Credit: PA

It's the end of an era for English badminton with 2-time Commonwealth and European champions Chris and Gabby Adcock announcing their retirement.

The Mixed Doubles 'golden couple' based in Milton Keynes have been regular playing partners since 2013, although they first played together at a world junior tournament six years previous.

They were twice Commonwealth and European Champions during that period, and played together at the Rio Olympics.

Their decision to retire comes two months after they pulled out of the All England Championships, with Gabby still suffering the effects of coronavirus after testing positive in December.

Gabby, from Leeds, first joined the England set up in 2006 and won a breakthrough world junior silver medal, with Chris, in 2007 and has not looked back since. 

For husband Chris, 2007 was also the year he earned his first England senior cap and his career grew from strength to strength from that moment on, achieving a remarkable 468 career wins.    

In 2010, Chris and Gabby made their Commonwealth Games debut helping Team England to a bronze medal in Delhi.  

2013 saw one of their proudest moments though, as they won their first SuperSeries title at the Hong Kong Open. 

In 2014, at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Chris and Gabby were part of the Team England that won a team silver which they then followed up with individual gold in the Mixed Doubles event.  

The following year, Chris and Gabby won the BWF World Tour Finals in Dubai, the first English players to claim this prestigious title and in 2017, Chris and Gabby again made England proud when they returned to Glasgow for the World Championships and took a bronze medal.   

In the same year, they won their first European Championships gold medal, with victory in Kolding, Denmark.

Chris Adcock and Gabby Adcock during the England Team Homecoming at Heathrow Airport, London. Credit: PA

2018 saw the duo successfully defend their Commonwealth Games title on the Gold Coast, as well as retain their European gold medal.  

The pair’s final professional competitive match was at the 2021 European Mixed Team Championships qualifiers in December.   

Chris & Gabby Adcock in action during their Mixed doubles match during day three of the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2017 Credit: PA

With the pair currently occupying the 14th world ranking spot in mixed doubles, it is time for them to reflect on the past decade and their incredible achievements along the way.