French Open 2026 Draw Preview: An Se-young Faces Sindhu as French Stars Get Tough Opening Matches

The Yonex French Open 2026 promises an exciting week of badminton, with several blockbuster first-round encounters, challenging draws for defending champions, and home favorites hoping to make history in front of the French crowd.

The HSBC BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament will take place from October 20–25, 2026, at the Arena Grand Paris in Tremblay-en-France, marking the competition’s first appearance at the new venue.

The official draw, released on October 13, has produced several fascinating matchups across all five disciplines.

In women’s singles, defending champion An Se-young faces India’s P. V. Sindhu in one of the biggest opening-round matches. Men’s singles top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn will take on home favorite Toma Junior Popov, while French star Christo Popov must overcome compatriot Arnaud Merkle.

The home crowd will also have high expectations for newly crowned 2026 world champions Alex Lanier and Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue, who enter the tournament with the opportunity to add another major title to their remarkable seasons.

Meanwhile, Indonesian, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean contenders will be aiming to challenge the established favorites in what promises to be a highly competitive tournament.

Yonex French Open 2026: Tournament at a Glance

Detail	Information
Tournament	Yonex French Open 2026
Dates	October 20–25, 2026
Location	Tremblay-en-France, France
Venue	Arena Grand Paris
Category	HSBC BWF World Tour Super 750
Draw Size	32 entries per discipline
Events	Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles
Official Draw Date	October 13, 2026

The French Open is among the most prestigious events on the BWF World Tour, attracting leading international players and pairs.

The 2026 edition carries additional significance for French badminton following the country’s historic success at the World Championships in New Delhi earlier this season.

Men’s Singles Draw Preview: French Stars Face Difficult Paths

The men’s singles draw features an intriguing combination of established champions, emerging talents, and several dangerous unseeded players.

Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn occupies the top seed position, while Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, the defending champion, is seeded second.

France has three seeded players in the draw, with Christo Popov, Alex Lanier, and Toma Junior Popov carrying the hopes of the home crowd.

Kunlavut Vitidsarn Faces Toma Junior Popov

Top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn will open his campaign against France’s Toma Junior Popov.

It is a particularly difficult draw for the Frenchman, who will have to overcome one of the world’s leading singles players to reach the second round.

Vitidsarn’s potential path is far from straightforward.

If he wins his opening match, he will face either Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen or Singapore’s Teh Jia Heng in the second round.

A potential quarterfinal against seventh seed Alex Lanier could provide one of the highlights of the tournament.

Lanier enters the French Open as the reigning world champion, having defeated Vitidsarn in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Championships before claiming the men’s singles gold medal.

The prospect of another encounter between the two players adds considerable excitement to the top section of the draw.

Alex Lanier Looking to Deliver at Home

Seventh seed Alex Lanier begins his campaign against Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan.

The Frenchman has enjoyed a remarkable 2026 season, highlighted by his historic World Championships triumph in New Delhi.

Lanier defeated Kodai Naraoka in the final to become France’s first men’s singles world champion.

His next opponent in Tremblay-en-France, should he advance, will be either Lee Chia-hao of Chinese Taipei or Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul.

A possible quarterfinal against Vitidsarn would be an early test of Lanier’s title ambitions.

Jonatan Christie Handed All-Indonesian Opener

Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, seeded fourth, will begin his French Open campaign against compatriot Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah.

The all-Indonesian encounter guarantees that at least one Indonesian player from this section will advance to the second round.

The winner will face either Japan’s Koki Watanabe or Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao.

Fifth seed Chou Tien-chen is also in this quarter of the draw, creating the possibility of a Christie–Chou quarterfinal.

Both players have the experience to reach the latter stages, but several competitive opening-round encounters could complicate their paths.

Christo Popov and Arnaud Merkle Draw Each Other

Third seed Christo Popov will open his tournament against fellow Frenchman Arnaud Merkle.

The matchup ensures French representation in the second round but also means one home player will make an early exit.

Popov reached the French Open men’s singles final in 2025 before losing to Antonsen. He returns hoping to go one step further in front of the home crowd.

His potential route includes a quarterfinal against sixth seed Kodai Naraoka, although the Japanese player must first overcome India’s Lakshya Sen.

Meanwhile, another all-Indian encounter sees Kidambi Srikanth face Ayush Shetty in the same quarter.

Antonsen Begins Title Defense Against Ng Ka Long Angus

Second seed Anders Antonsen will start his title defense against Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus.

The Dane could face Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan or Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-yi in the second round.

Alwi’s opening match against Lin is an important opportunity for the young Indonesian to demonstrate his progress against an experienced opponent.

Eighth seed Victor Lai is also in Antonsen’s quarter, although the Canadian must first overcome China’s Weng Hongyang.

If the seeded players advance as expected, Antonsen and Christo Popov could meet in the semifinals, potentially producing another major encounter between the 2025 finalists.

Men’s singles potential quarterfinals based on seeding:

Top Seed	Potential Opponent
Kunlavut Vitidsarn [1]	Alex Lanier [7]
Jonatan Christie [4]	Chou Tien-chen [5]
Kodai Naraoka [6]	Christo Popov [3]
Victor Lai [8]	Anders Antonsen [2]

These are projected matchups, not confirmed fixtures.

Women’s Singles Draw Preview: An Se-young vs P. V. Sindhu Headlines Round One

The women’s singles competition features arguably the most anticipated opening-round encounter of the entire tournament.

South Korea’s An Se-young, the top seed and two-time defending French Open champion, faces India’s P. V. Sindhu.

With world-class players positioned throughout both halves of the draw, the battle for the title promises to be fiercely contested.

An Se-young Begins Against Sindhu

An Se-young enters the tournament as the leading title favorite following another outstanding season.

The Korean star successfully defended her world title in New Delhi earlier this year and will be seeking a third consecutive French Open crown after winning the 2024 and 2025 editions.

However, her opening opponent is a major name in women’s badminton.

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist and former world champion, has the experience and attacking ability to challenge the world’s best.

Although An will enter as the favorite, the draw has ensured that one of the sport’s most recognizable players will exit in the first round.

The winner will face either Tanvi Sharma or Isharani Baruah in another all-Indian matchup.

Seventh seed Han Yue occupies the same quarter, offering a potential quarterfinal test for An Se-young.

Akane Yamaguchi Leads the Second Quarter

Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, seeded third, opens against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Hsiang-ti.

Yamaguchi could face eighth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong in the quarterfinals if both players progress.

Chochuwong begins against Malaysia’s K. Letshanaa, while former world champion Nozomi Okuhara faces compatriot Natsuki Nidaira.

An Se-young and Yamaguchi are in the same half of the draw, meaning a meeting between the two leading contenders could take place in the semifinals rather than the final.

Ratchanok Intanon and Tomoka Miyazaki in the Same Quarter

Fourth seed Ratchanok Intanon begins her campaign against South Korea’s Sim Yu-jin.

The experienced Thai player is positioned in the same quarter as Japan’s sixth seed Tomoka Miyazaki.

Miyazaki faces fellow Thai player Supanida Katethong in the opening round.

India’s Unnati Hooda and Japan’s Riko Gunji also feature in this section, adding further depth to an already competitive quarter.

Putri Kusuma Wardani Faces Challenging Route

Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani, seeded fifth, starts against India’s Devika Sihag.

The Indonesian player is positioned in the same quarter as second seed Wang Zhiyi of China.

Wang will face Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-hsun in the first round, while Canada’s Michelle Li meets Japan’s Hina Akechi.

Should Wardani and Wang advance through their respective sections, they could meet in the quarterfinals.

For Wardani, reaching the last eight would represent an important step toward challenging one of the tournament’s leading title contenders.

Men’s Doubles Draw Preview: Kim/Seo Target Another Crown

The men’s doubles draw is packed with established partnerships and dangerous challengers.

Defending champions Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae lead the competition as top seeds, while China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang occupy the second seed position.

Indonesia, Malaysia, India, China, and Denmark all have prominent contenders capable of challenging for the title.

Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae Lead the Draw

South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae begin their title defense against Japan’s Hiroki Okamura and Kyohei Yamashita.

The Korean pair won the French Open in 2025, defeating Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in the final.

A successful opening match would bring an encounter against either Chen Zhi Yi/Presley Smith of the United States or Malaysia’s Aaron Tai/Yap Roy King.

Sixth seeds Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin are also in the same quarter.

The Malaysian pair open against Denmark’s Christian Faust Kjær and Rasmus Kjær, with a potential quarterfinal meeting against Kim/Seo on the horizon.

Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri Seek Redemption

Third seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri return to France after finishing as runners-up in 2025.

The Indonesian pair will face Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Hsiang-chieh and Wang Chi-lin in the opening round.

If successful, they will meet either Indonesian pair Ali Faathir Rayhan/Devin Artha Wahyudi or South Korea’s Kang Min-hyuk/Lee Jong-min.

The same quarter also features India’s fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.

The Indians have particularly strong memories of the French Open, having won the tournament in 2022 and 2024.

Popov Brothers Face Rankireddy and Shetty

France’s Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov face an extremely challenging opening match against Rankireddy and Shetty.

The Indian partnership has an impressive record at the event and will be among the pairs expected to challenge for the title.

The winner could face either Lee Fang-chih/Lee Fang-jen or Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin in the second round.

A quarterfinal between Fajar/Fikri and Rankireddy/Shetty is one of the most intriguing possible matchups in the draw.

Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik Face Dangerous Chinese Pair

Malaysia’s fourth seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik begin against China’s He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu.

It is a challenging opener for the Malaysian pair, who finished as runners-up at the 2026 World Championships.

Eighth seeds Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi are also positioned in this quarter.

Meanwhile, second seeds Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang open against Chen Zhi-ray and Lin Yu-chieh.

The Chinese pair arrive as the reigning world champions following their victory over Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the New Delhi final.

Indonesian Derby Adds Another Opening-Round Storyline

Indonesia will also have an interesting first-round encounter between Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin and seventh seeds Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani.

Both pairs are positioned in the bottom quarter of the draw, which also includes Liang/Wang.

With several Indonesian pairs distributed across the bracket, the men’s doubles competition offers multiple opportunities for Indonesia to make a deep run.

Women’s Doubles Draw Preview: Defending Champions Lead Strong Field

Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto will defend their French Open crown as top seeds.

The Japanese pair captured the 2025 title after a dramatic final against China’s Li Yijing and Luo Xumin.

However, the 2026 draw features several dangerous opponents, including Malaysian contenders Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan and multiple Indonesian and Japanese partnerships.

Fukushima and Matsumoto Face Japanese Rivals

Fukushima and Matsumoto will begin against compatriots Nanako Hara and Riko Kiyose.

The all-Japanese matchup gives the defending champions a potentially tricky opening test.

Should they progress, they will face either Hsu Ya-ching/Sung Yu-hsuan or Lauren Lam/Allison Quynh Lee.

Seventh seeds Kusuma/Puspitasari are also in their quarter, creating a possible seeded quarterfinal clash.

Indonesian Pairings Draw Each Other

Indonesia’s seventh seeds F. Kusuma and M. Puspitasari have been drawn against compatriots A. Pratiwi and S. Ramadhanti.

This all-Indonesian match ensures one partnership will advance while another is eliminated immediately.

Elsewhere, fifth seeds R. Rose and Febi Setianingrum will face Hong Kong’s Lui Lok Lok and Tsang Hiu Yan.

The fifth seeds share their quarter with Chinese Taipei’s fourth seeds Hsu Yin-hui and Lin Jhih-yun, who begin against Japan’s Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita.

Japan’s Depth Could Prove Decisive

Japan has several strong partnerships across the women’s doubles draw.

Third seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi open against compatriots Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara.

Ririna Hiramoto and Chiharu Shida also feature in the bottom half, where they face India’s Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda.

China’s sixth seeds Bao Lijing and Cao Zihan occupy the same quarter as Iwanaga/Nakanishi.

With several Japanese pairs capable of reaching the latter stages, the discipline could produce multiple high-profile encounters involving players from the same country.

Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan Carry Malaysian Hopes

Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, seeded second, start against Türkiye’s Bengisu Ercetin and Nazlıcan Inci.

The Malaysian pair are among the leading challengers to Fukushima/Matsumoto.

Their quarter also features Bulgaria’s eighth-seeded Stoeva sisters, Gabriela and Stefani, who begin against Denmark’s Kathrine Vang and Mette Werge.

French interest includes Margot Lambert and Camille Pognante, who return to international competition following Lambert’s recovery period.

They will face Malaysia’s Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting in the first round.

Mixed Doubles Draw Preview: World Champions Gicquel/Delrue Chase Home Glory

The mixed doubles competition features one of the tournament’s most compelling storylines.

French fourth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue enter the event as reigning world champions following their historic success at the 2026 World Championships.

Their main rivals include defending French Open champions Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping and second seeds Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin.

Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping Begin Title Defense

China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping lead the mixed doubles draw as top seeds.

The defending champions open against South Korea’s Kim Jae-hyeon and Jang Ha-jeong.

A second-round encounter against either France’s Julien Maio/Léa Palermo or Spain’s Ruben Garcia/Lucia Rodriguez could follow.

Seventh seeds Ye Hong-wei and N. Chan are also in this quarter.

Gicquel and Delrue Eye Another Major Title

Fourth seeds Gicquel and Delrue will face England’s Callum Hemming and Estelle Van Leeuwen in their first match.

The French partnership will be seeking revenge after losing to the English pair at the 2026 European Championships.

A victory would set up a second-round meeting with either Thailand’s Tanadon Punpanich/J. Sudjaipraparat or Chinese Taipei’s Wu Hsuan-yi/Yang Chu-yun.

The biggest potential storyline is a semifinal against Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping.

Gicquel and Delrue defeated the Chinese pair in the final of the 2026 World Championships, securing France’s historic mixed doubles world title.

A rematch in Tremblay-en-France would undoubtedly be one of the tournament’s biggest attractions.

Christiansen/Bøje and Jiang/Wei Lead Bottom Half

Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje are seeded third and open against Japan’s Akira Koga and Natsu Saito.

They share their quarter with China’s sixth seeds Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui.

Meanwhile, second seeds Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin begin against compatriots Zhu Yijun and Li Qian.

Thailand’s fifth seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran are also in the bottom half.

The Thai pair will open against Chinese Taipei’s Liu Kuang-heng and Hsu Yin-hui.

A quarterfinal between Dechapol/Supissara and Jiang/Wei is possible if both partnerships progress.

Indonesian Mixed Doubles Face Competitive Opening Matches

Indonesia’s Amri Syahnawi and Nita Violina Marwah begin against Malaysia’s Jimmy Wong and Cheng Su Yin.

The winner could meet seventh seeds Ye Hong-wei/N. Chan in the second round.

Another Indonesian pair, Dejan Ferdinansyah and F. Pasaribu, face Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai.

With several established international partnerships in their section, the Indonesian representatives will need strong opening performances to advance.

Must-Watch First-Round Matches at the French Open 2026

Several opening-round encounters stand out as matches that could significantly influence the tournament.

Event	Match
Men’s Singles	Kunlavut Vitidsarn [1] vs Toma Junior Popov
Men’s Singles	Christo Popov [3] vs Arnaud Merkle
Men’s Singles	Jonatan Christie [4] vs Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah
Men’s Singles	Lakshya Sen vs Kodai Naraoka [6]
Women’s Singles	An Se-young [1] vs P. V. Sindhu
Women’s Singles	Kirsty Gilmour vs Mia Blichfeldt
Men’s Doubles	Rankireddy/Shetty [5] vs Christo/Toma Junior Popov
Men’s Doubles	Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik [4] vs He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu
Women’s Doubles	Kusuma/Puspitasari [7] vs Pratiwi/Ramadhanti
Mixed Doubles	Gicquel/Delrue [4] vs Hemming/Van Leeuwen

The An Se Young–Sindhu encounter is arguably the biggest first-round attraction, while the French men’s singles and men’s doubles matches will draw considerable interest from the home crowd.

Defending Champions: Who Won the French Open in 2025?

All five defending championship entries are represented in the 2026 draws, with each player or partnership hoping to retain their title.

Discipline	2025 Champions	2026 Seed
Men’s Singles	Anders Antonsen (Denmark)	2
Women’s Singles	An Se-young (South Korea)	1
Men’s Doubles	Kim Won-ho / Seo Seung-jae (South Korea)	1
Women’s Doubles	Yuki Fukushima / Mayu Matsumoto (Japan)	1
Mixed Doubles	Feng Yanzhe / Huang Dongping (China)	1

An Se-young and Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping have an opportunity to complete three consecutive French Open title runs after winning in both 2024 and 2025.

Antonsen, Kim/Seo, and Fukushima/Matsumoto will seek back-to-back championships.

However, the strength of the 2026 field suggests that none of the defending champions will have an easy route to the final.

Who Has the Best Chance of Winning the Yonex French Open 2026?

The draw presents different challenges for the leading contenders across all five disciplines.

In men’s singles, Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Anders Antonsen occupy opposite halves, but neither has an easy path. Alex Lanier’s world championship triumph makes him a serious contender, while Christo Popov will be motivated by the opportunity to improve on last year’s runner-up finish.

An Se-young remains the player to beat in women’s singles, although her opening encounter against Sindhu immediately places her title defense under pressure. Wang Zhiyi and Akane Yamaguchi are among the strongest alternatives.

The men’s doubles title could be contested by Kim/Seo, Fajar/Fikri, Liang/Wang, and Malaysia’s Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, with several other pairs capable of producing surprises.

Fukushima/Matsumoto lead a competitive women’s doubles field, while Pearly Tan/Thinaah and Japan’s other leading partnerships will be eager to challenge the defending champions.

Perhaps the most fascinating championship battle could come in mixed doubles.

Feng/Huang remain strong favorites, but Gicquel/Delrue’s world title provides compelling evidence that the French pair can compete against the very best.

Playing in front of their home crowd could give the world champions an additional boost.

Final Thoughts

The Yonex French Open 2026 has produced a draw filled with compelling storylines, difficult opening matches, and the possibility of several exciting rematches.

The spotlight will fall particularly heavily on France’s leading stars, including Alex Lanier, Christo Popov, and Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue, as they attempt to deliver memorable performances at the Arena Grand Paris.

Indonesia and Malaysia will also have plenty to follow, particularly in the doubles competitions, where multiple partnerships have realistic opportunities to progress deep into the tournament.

With the action beginning on October 20, badminton fans can look forward to six days of elite competition before the five champions are crowned on Sunday, October 25.

Who will survive the challenging opening rounds, and who will emerge as the biggest surprise of the Yonex French Open 2026?

Editor’s note: This preview is based on the official draw published on October 13, 2026. All projected quarterfinals and semifinals are potential matchups, not confirmed fixtures. Draws may change following withdrawals or other official updates.

Official Draws and Tournament Information

• Men’s Singles Draw
• Women’s Singles Draw
• Men’s Doubles Draw
• Women’s Doubles Draw
• Mixed Doubles Draw

For schedules, tournament information, and further coverage, visit our Yonex French Open tournament hub.