Dream Debuts Beckon

A handful of players will turn unexpected opportunities into dream BWF World Championships debuts after withdrawals opened up places in the draw.

In women’s singles, 2019 world junior champion Riko Gunji has earned a place in the bottom half of the draw, replacing Spain’s Clara Azurmendi. Gunji, who won her first HSBC BWF World Tour title at the Canada Open last month, now has the chance to bring her junior pedigree to the senior stage on one of badminton’s biggest platforms.

The men’s doubles draw has also welcomed two new pairs. Chinese youngsters Huang Di/Liu Yang and Hu Ke Yuan/Lin Xiang Yi step in for UAE brothers Dev and Dhiren Ayyappan and the eighth-seeded 2021 world champions Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi.

There are debut opportunities in women’s doubles too. Luo Yi/Wang Ting Ge and Isyana Syahira Meida/Rinjani Kwinnara Nastine move into the draw in place of Austria’s Serena Au Yong/Anna Hagspiel and sixth seeds Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong.

Mixed doubles, meanwhile, will see host representatives Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh and Indonesia’s Bimo Prasetyo/Arlya Nabila Thesya Munggaran make their World Championships bows. The notable withdrawal is of seventh seeds and two-time bronze medallists Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet, who pulled out following Tang’s ACL injury.

Women’s singles: Yeo Jia Min (Singapore), Clara Azurmendi (Spain) Men’s doubles: Dev Ayyappan/Dhiren Ayyappan (UAE), Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi (eighth seeds, Japan) Women’s doubles: Serena Au Yong/Anna Hagspiel (Austria), Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong (sixth seeds, Korea) Mixed doubles: Dhiren Ayyappan, Taabia Khan (UAE), Ruttanapak Oupthong/Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat Thailand), Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet (seventh seeds, Hong Kong China)

Women’s singles: Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Thailand), Riko Gunji (Japan)| Men’s doubles: Huang Di/Liu Yang (China), Hu Ke Yuan/Lin Xiang Yi (China) Women’s doubles: Luo Yi/Wang Ting Ge (China), Isyana Syahira Meida/ Rinjani Kwinnara Nastine (Indonesia) Mixed doubles: Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh (India), Bimo Prasetyo/ Arlya Nabila Thesya Munggaran (Indonesia), Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto (Indonesia)

BWF World Championships 2026 begins tomorrow, with the first match scheduled for 11.30am Kuala Lumpur time (UTC +8).