Ratchanok, who upset world No 1 Li Xuerui at the BWF World Championships in Guangzhou last August for the coveted title, was named Asian Sporting Icon after four weeks of online voting at www.FoxSportsAsia.com/ASIA.
The youngest world champion at 18, Ratchanok has set her sights on retaining her crown in Denmark at the end of August but is expecting stiff competition from the Chinese.