The 2025 badminton season kicked off with a thrilling display of top-tier talent at the Malaysia Open, held in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, January 12th. The tournament witnessed the dominance of the world’s top-ranked players, with An Se-young and Shi Yuqi securing victories in the women’s and men’s singles respectively.
An Se-young, the reigning Olympic champion, continued her impressive form by successfully defending her women’s singles title. She showcased a composed and dominant performance, defeating world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi in straight sets 21-17, 21-7. This victory marks a significant milestone for the South Korean star, making her the first back-to-back champion in Kuala Lumpur since Tai Tzu-ying in 2019. Moreover, An etched her name in history as the first South Korean woman to claim the Malaysian Open title.
In a highly anticipated rematch of the 2024 men’s singles final, Shi Yuqi exacted revenge on Anders Antonsen. The Chinese shuttler delivered a powerful performance, crushing his Danish opponent 21-8, 21-15 to secure his maiden Malaysia Open title. Shi’s dominance in the first set set the tone for the match, leaving Antonsen struggling to find his rhythm.
The doubles events witnessed a thrilling mix of triumphs from across the globe.
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Women’s Doubles: The Japanese duo of Fukushima Yuki and Matsumoto Mayu emerged victorious in a hard-fought three-set battle against the Olympic champion pair of Jia Yifan and her new partner Zhang Shuxian. After dropping the first set 17-21, Fukushima and Matsumoto displayed incredible resilience, fighting back to claim the title 21-15, 21-15.
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Mixed Doubles: Thailand celebrated a historic moment as Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran clinched their first-ever Malaysian Open mixed doubles title. The Thai pair overcame a stiff challenge from the Chinese duo of Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping in another thrilling three-setter, winning 21-13, 19-21, 21-18.
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Men’s Doubles: The unseeded Korean pair of Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae delivered a stunning upset, defeating the Chinese duo of Chen Boyang and Liu Yi 19-21, 21-12, 21-12.
The Malaysia Open 2025 ultimately saw Korea emerge as the overall champion with two titles. Despite fielding five representatives in the finals across all categories, China managed to secure only one title through Shi Yuqi’s victory in the men’s singles.
The tournament served as a thrilling opening act for the 2025 badminton season, showcasing the exceptional talent and fierce competition that promises to define the year.
Photo: BWF
