What new twists await as the final quarter of the 2025 season unfolds?
For those seeking a ticket to the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2025, the qualifying window comprises of four tournaments in Europe followed by a tournament each in Korea, Japan and Australia. Given how intense each category has been, there are bound to be some photo-finishes at the close of the qualifying period.
Overall, the 2025 season has seen a few standout players and pairs, but the chasing pack has become ever more competitive.
In men’s singles, Shi Yu Qi finally quelled all doubts about his pedigree with the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships gold, while also capturing three Super 1000 titles – his career-best season. Will he push on to achieve further glory in the rest of the season?
Viktor Axelsen
Other exceptional performers through the season were Anders Antonsen and Kunlavut Vitidsarn. Alex Lanier, Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov are now frequent faces in the business ends of tournaments, and all they will fancy their chances of qualifying to Hangzhou.
The point of interest in the European leg will be the form of Viktor Axelsen, who is returning from a back injury. This is the longest the Dane has been out of action since his professional career began, and his opponents will seek to pounce on any perceived rustiness as he makes his way back from the prolonged layoff.
Akane Yamaguchi
Women’s singles appeared destined to be dominated by An Se Young until her surprise semifinal loss to Chen Yu Fei at the World Championships, followed by her first final loss of the season to Akane Yamaguchi at the Korea Open. Those twin losses have possibly opened up the category, and the narrative of the last quarter could well be An’s attempt to reassert her supremacy and her principal opponents’ quest to deny her.
An’s compatriots in men’s doubles, Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae, have gone from strength to strength, winning eight titles from 10 finals. When at their best they have few equals, but other pairs have occasionally found a way past them.
Malaysian men’s doubles have had a great season so far, with Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun, Nur Izzuddin/Goh Sze Fei and Arif Junaidi/Roy Yap King performing well, while other pairs, such as Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty and Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang have contributed to the stellar displays that have lit up men’s doubles.
Exciting new combination Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Fajar Alfian, one of the few pairs to beat Kim/Seo, are at No.29 in the World Tour rankings, and while qualifying to the season finale might be a tall order, it will be interesting to see how far the duo can go.
In women’s doubles, while Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian lead the Race to Finals, Jia has entered the Denmark and French Open with longtime partner Chen Qing Chen. The Olympic champions made the quarterfinals of the Korea Open on their comeback, and few will bet against them reclaiming their position at the top. If Chen/Jia work their way back to their prime form, their contests against their successors, Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning, could be particularly riveting.
Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan
The world title triumph of Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei, when they upstaged favoured Chinese pairs, gives a new edginess in mixed doubles. With Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Supissara Paewsampran too jostling for position at the top, and Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue having won a Super 1000 title and a historic bronze at the World Championships, top Chinese pairs like Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping, Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin and Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui will be on their toes.
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