Hendrawan won the silver medal in men's singles at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the gold medal at the 2001 IBF World Championships. 

His wife Sylvia Angreni was also a former national women's singles player.  It was clearly evident that badminton brought them together as Hendrawan first met Sylvia in a junior tournament in East Jawa at the age of 14 and it was love at first sight. However, Hendrawan said they lost touch after that but fate reunited them when both made the national team six years later. "It was a surprise when I met her again in the national team. I think this is what we called destiny and obviously this is because of our fondness in badminton," recalls Hendrawan.

"Being in the same field, Sylvia was very understanding and gave me the encouragement throughout my career.”I'm really lucky for God has presented me with a great career, a loving wife and beautiful wife. I'm still involved in the sport I cherish most and there is nothing more I need in life."

Hendrawan also explained that his early life was a difficult one as his father was a small trader in a local market in Malang and things started getting better when he moved Jakarta to join Tangkas badminton club where he trained under Fang Kaixiang, who later became the Malaysian coach.

A year later, he was drafted into the national team where he had the luxury of training under Chinese coach Tang Hsienfu, regarded  s the best singles coach in the history of the game, and continued his progress. Hendrawan was in an era where Indonesia was the dominant force in the men's singles and Hendrawan had to wait for his time shine.

After his triple victories, Hendrawan's major break came in the 2000 Sydney Olympics where he won a silver medal and rates the achievement as one his finest.

Hendrawan retired in 2003 but never left the game unlike his more famous teammates, as he joined the national team as a coach. Despite being closely linked with badminton, Hendrawan wants to give his children Josephine and Alexander a free hand in deciding their future. However, Hendrawan will be the happiest if they choose to become badminton players and try to emulate the success he and his wife have achieved.

“I just want to be remembered as a humble, nice and ordinary person.  Not as a World Champion or Olympic Champion. I want to be remembered as a person who does not turn away from God’s commandments.  I just want to follow God’s way.

I believe that career and fame will end some day.  Just like an old river my popularity will automatically dry up.  Jesus taught that there are more important things in this life, that there is eternal life.  That is what I was looking for – not fame as a badminton player or popularity.  Because I know Jesus Christ I am certain that I have found eternal life.”