Four Nations, Five Titles on the Line! China Badminton Eyes Four Crowns as Shi Yuqi and An Se-young Chase Repeat Wins—Plus a Blockbuster Men’s Doubles World Champions Clash

On January 11, the 2026 Malaysia Open reaches its grand finale, with champions to be crowned across all five disciplines. Players from four nations will battle for five gold medals. Team China has surged into four finals and will be pushing for four titles, while the world No. 1 singles stars—Shi Yuqi and An Se-young—both have a strong chance to successfully defend their crowns. The men’s doubles final also promises fireworks, featuring a showdown between two pairs of world champions. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik will be aiming to deliver the hosts their lone title on home soil.

China came into this tournament with a full-strength lineup and has largely delivered as expected. The only early slip came in men’s doubles, but the team still advanced to four finals in total. Mixed doubles remains a powerhouse event for China, with the world No. 1 pair Feng Yanzhe / Huang Dongping set to face the world No. 2 duo Jiang Zhenbang / Wei Yaxin. Their all-China final guarantees the country both gold and silver in the category.

In men’s singles, Shi Yuqi has reached the Malaysia Open final for three consecutive years. After defeating Anders Antonsen to claim last year’s title, he now faces Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn—an opponent he has beaten before and holds a 7–3 head-to-head advantage over. Given that record and his current form, Shi appears well positioned to lift the trophy for a second straight year.

The women’s singles final is a repeat of last year’s title match, as Wang Zhiyi and An Se-young meet again with the championship at stake. An enjoyed a sensational 2025 season, posting one of the best win rates on tour and regularly overpowering top opponents. Wang enters as the underdog and will need to raise her attacking intensity—relying purely on defense is unlikely to be enough. The momentum favors the world No. 1 An to complete another successful title defense.

Women’s doubles offers one of the tightest matchups of the day. The world No. 1 Chinese pair Liu Shengshu / Tan Ning will take on the No. 6 seeds from Korea, Baek Ha-na / Lee So-hee. The rivalry has been remarkably even, and with the sides essentially level in past meetings, the outcome is truly difficult to predict.

The men’s doubles final will see Korea’s Kim Won-ho / Seo Seung-jae face Malaysia’s Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik. Both pairs have previously won the world championships, and the balance of power looks razor-thin. With the first major stop of the new year on the line, whether China can outpace Korea in total titles and finish as the tournament’s biggest winner will soon be decided.