Ayaka Oba and her husband Wang Yaoxin will continue their long-distance lifestyle; the badminton goddess may return to Japan for work.

Wang Yaoxin, the Malaysian men's doubles player, and the beautiful Japanese women's singles player Ayaka Oba officially registered their marriage on the 19th local time. After becoming a husband, the 30-year-old Wang Yaoxin stated that he does not plan to retire yet and will continue to compete with his partner Zhang Yuyu for a few more years. It is reported that the Malaysian duo Wang Yaoxin/Zhang Yuyu won the bronze medal in men's doubles at the 2021 Badminton World Championships and the silver medal at the 2023 Badminton Asia Championships.

Wang Yaoxin (right) and Ayaka Oba completed their registration at the National Registration Department in Malacca, officially becoming husband and wife. The couple is seen smiling at each other while holding their marriage certificate.

Wang Yaoxin and Ayaka Oba registered at the National Registration Department (JPN) in Malacca, officially becoming legal spouses in the presence of family members and representatives. One point of interest for fans is that 28-year-old Ayaka Oba is set to officially retire at the end of 2024, while Wang Yaoxin does not intend to hang up his racket, raising the question of whether they will be unable to see each other regularly.According to Malaysian media, Wang Yaoxin and Ayaka Oba, who have been in a long-distance relationship for some time, had to overcome many challenges to become a couple. Now that they are married, it is likely that they will continue their long-distance relationship, with Wang Yaoxin staying in Malaysia while Ayaka Oba returns to Japan to pursue her career.

It is reported that Ayaka Oba may return to Japan for work. Since she does not plan to retire after marriage, Wang Yaoxin will continue to stay in Malaysia. Wang Yaoxin stated, "After marriage, I will mostly stay here because I want to keep playing for a few more years, while she might fly back to Japan to seek job opportunities."

Ayaka Oba appeared in the mixed interview area at the 2025 Sudirman Cup, interviewing Japanese players during the quarterfinal match between Japan and Chinese Taipei.

Since officially starting her senior-level competitions in 2014, Ayaka Oba achieved her highest women's singles world ranking of 7 during her career. After retirement, she has already started a new career, having reported on the 2025 Sudirman Cup mixed team competition held in Xiamen as a media representative in April this year.

Wang Yaoxin's reluctance to leave the badminton court likely stems from his desire to partner with Zhang Yuyu to compete for a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. After all, they have been partners since 2016 and have yet to step into the Olympic arena. However, their performance has significantly declined this year, with all seven recent tournaments ending in the first round. In the past two years, they participated in 21 tournaments, with 17 of them ending in the first two rounds. Additionally, the Malaysian men's doubles team is quite talented, making it challenging for Wang Yaoxin and Zhang Yuyu to break through within the team. It is worth noting that the "Flying Ting" duo, Wu Shifei/Nuo Yizuting, and former world champions Xie Dingfeng/Su Weiyi currently hold the top two spots in the world rankings. Historically, each country is allowed only two entries in each badminton event at the Olympics.

Wang Yaoxin (right) stated that he will continue his professional career with partner Zhang Yuyu for several more years.

On the 21st local time, Ayaka Oba updated her Instagram to announce her marriage registration with Wang Yaoxin, stating, "Although this is a private matter, please allow me to share the news of our registration. I want to build a family filled with smiles, just like us. Wang Yaoxin & Ayaka Oba." Ayaka Oba also shared a photo of herself in a pure white dress holding hands with Wang Yaoxin, both beaming with joy. This heartwarming moment received an outpouring of blessings from both countries' fans and acquaintances in the comments section and on social media. In addition to congratulatory messages from former Japanese badminton player Reiko Shiota, such as "So happy—congratulations," there were also comments like "Love knows no borders," "A beautiful couple," "So cute," and "An amazing bride."