Five former world champions have earned seeded spots in the women’s singles draw for the BWF World Championships 2026, making it the most decorated category at this year’s tournament.
World No. 1 An Se Young, the 2023 champion, leads the seedings, while reigning three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi is seeded second. Former champions Ratchanok Intanon (No. 7), Pusarla V. Sindhu (No. 9), and Nozomi Okuhara (No. 11) also feature among the top 16 seeds.
The men’s singles draw includes three former world champions: defending champion Shi Yu Qi, 2023 winner Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and 2021 champion Loh Kean Yew.
Indonesia boast three seeded pairs in men’s doubles, led by second seeds Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, alongside Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani (No. 9) and Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin (No. 12). Reigning champions Seo Seung Jae/Kim Won Ho top the field, while former champions Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik (No. 4) and Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi (No. 8) are also among the favourites.
China continue to dominate the doubles events, with three women’s doubles pairs and four mixed doubles pairs seeded inside the top eight, highlighting their impressive depth across both disciplines.
Emerging badminton nations are also making their mark, with France featuring three seeded men’s singles players—Christo Popov, Alex Lanier and Toma Junior Popov—while the United States have seeded pairs in both the women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
The official draw for the BWF World Championships 2026 will take place tomorrow in New Delhi.
