Denmark Open 2026 Draw Preview: First-Round Blockbusters, Top Seeds and Defending Champions
The stage is set for another exciting week of world-class badminton as the Victor Denmark Open 2026 brings together some of the sport’s biggest names in Odense, Denmark, from October 13 to 18.
As a BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament, the Denmark Open is one of the most prestigious stops on the international badminton calendar. This year’s edition promises thrilling encounters across all five disciplines, with several high-profile matches scheduled as early as the opening round.
Reigning men’s singles champion Jonatan Christie, women’s singles titleholder An Se-young, and three-time defending mixed doubles champions Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping are among the returning stars.
Meanwhile, the men’s doubles draw features a particularly difficult opening assignment for defending champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, who face Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
Here is a closer look at the Denmark Open 2026 draws, top seeds, must-watch matches, potential clashes, and which defending champions will return to compete for another title.
Denmark Open 2026 Tournament Overview
| Tournament Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Victor Denmark Open 2026 |
| Dates | October 13–18, 2026 |
| Location | Odense, Denmark |
| Venue | SJF Bank Arena |
| Category | BWF World Tour Super 750 |
| Edition | 75th |
| Prize Money | US$950,000 |
| Disciplines | MS, WS, MD, WD, XD |
For more information about the tournament, including the competition schedule, prize money and official draws, visit our Denmark Open tournament overview.
Men’s Singles Draw Preview: Can Jonatan Christie Defend His Crown?
The men’s singles competition features a strong field led by Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed.
French star Christo Popov occupies the opposite end of the draw as the second seed, while Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen and defending champion Jonatan Christie are seeded third and fourth, respectively.
The draw also includes Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, France’s Alex Lanier and Canada’s Victor Lai.
Top Seeds in Men’s Singles
| Seed | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kunlavut Vitidsarn | Thailand |
| 2 | Christo Popov | France |
| 3 | Chou Tien-chen | Chinese Taipei |
| 4 | Jonatan Christie | Indonesia |
| 5 | Anders Antonsen | Denmark |
| 6 | Kodai Naraoka | Japan |
| 7 | Alex Lanier | France |
| 8 | Victor Lai | Canada |
Must-Watch First-Round Matches
Kunlavut Vitidsarn vs Rasmus Gemke
Top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn begins his campaign against Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke. The home player will have the backing of the Odense crowd, but overcoming the Thai star represents a demanding opening challenge.
Chou Tien-chen vs Lakshya Sen
One of the standout first-round matches features third seed Chou Tien-chen against India’s Lakshya Sen.
Both players have the experience and attacking ability to make this a highly competitive encounter. With only one able to advance, the draw guarantees an early departure for a major contender.
Alex Lanier vs Li Shifeng
Seventh seed Alex Lanier has also received a difficult opening assignment against China’s Li Shi Feng. The contest brings together two players capable of producing aggressive, high-quality badminton.
Jonatan Christie vs Lin Chun-yi
Defending champion Jonatan Christie begins his title defence against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-yi.
Christie captured the 2025 title by defeating Shi Yuqi in the final and will be hoping to produce another successful week in Odense. However, his first-round opponent is capable of making the Indonesian work hard for a place in the second round.
Anders Antonsen vs Lee Cheuk Yiu
Denmark’s leading contender Anders Antonsen, seeded fifth, opens against Hong Kong China’s Lee Cheuk Yiu.
Antonsen won the Denmark Open in 2024 and will be aiming to reclaim the title in front of his home supporters.
Other Players to Watch
Indonesia has two additional representatives worth following: Alwi Farhan and Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah.
Farhan faces India’s Ayush Shetty, while Ubaidillah meets eighth seed Victor Lai of Canada.
At the bottom of the draw, second seed Christo Popov takes on China’s Weng Hongyang in another intriguing first-round matchup.
A possible quarterfinal between Christie and Antonsen is among the standout potential encounters in the lower half, provided both players progress through their earlier matches.
Women’s Singles Draw Preview: An Se-young Faces PV Sindhu in Opening Round
The women’s singles draw promises one of the most exciting opening rounds of the tournament.
World-class stars An Se-young, Wang Zhiyi, Akane Yamaguchi and Ratchanok Intanon occupy the top four seeded positions, while several former major champions and rising talents will attempt to challenge the established favourites.
Defending champion An Se-young heads the draw as the top seed, with China’s Wang Zhiyi seeded second.
Top Seeds in Women’s Singles
| Seed | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Se-young | South Korea |
| 2 | Wang Zhiyi | China |
| 3 | Akane Yamaguchi | Japan |
| 4 | Ratchanok Intanon | Thailand |
| 5 | Putri Kusuma Wardani | Indonesia |
| 6 | Tomoka Miyazaki | Japan |
| 7 | Han Yue | China |
| 8 | Pornpawee Chochuwong | Thailand |
An Se-young vs PV Sindhu Headlines Opening Round
The biggest talking point in the women’s singles draw is the first-round meeting between top seed An Se-young and India’s PV Sindhu.
An Se-young arrives as the defending Denmark Open champion after defeating Wang Zhiyi in the 2025 final.
Sindhu, meanwhile, is a two-time Olympic medalist with extensive experience at the highest level.
The match gives fans a major international showdown immediately, rather than waiting until the latter stages of the competition.
For An Se-young, the challenge is clear: overcome a difficult opening opponent before turning her attention to another title run.
Akane Yamaguchi Faces Home Favourite Mia Blichfeldt
Third seed Akane Yamaguchi also faces an uncomfortable opening assignment against Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt.
Yamaguchi is a former Denmark Open champion, having won the women’s singles title in 2021 and 2016. Blichfeldt, however, will be motivated to deliver a strong performance in front of her home crowd.
Other notable first-round matches include:
- Tomoka Miyazaki vs Nozomi Okuhara: An all-Japanese contest featuring two players from different generations.
- Ratchanok Intanon vs Nguyen Thuy Linh: Fourth seed Intanon faces Vietnam’s leading women’s singles representative.
- Putri Kusuma Wardani vs Supanida Katethong: Indonesia’s fifth seed encounters a dangerous Thai opponent.
- Wang Zhiyi vs Michelle Li: The second seed begins her campaign against the experienced Canadian.
Could the 2025 Final Be Repeated?
An Se-young and Wang Zhiyi occupy opposite halves of the draw, meaning they could meet again in the final.
Their 2025 championship match ended in a straight-games victory for An Se-young, 21–5, 24–22.
A rematch in Odense would offer Wang an opportunity to reverse that result, although both players must first navigate challenging paths through their respective halves.
Men’s Doubles Draw Preview: Defending Champions Face Tough Malaysian Test
The men’s doubles competition could be one of the most unpredictable events at this year’s Denmark Open.
South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae lead the draw as the top seeds, while China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang occupy the second-seeded position.
Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri enter as the third seeds, ahead of Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
Top Four Seeds in Men’s Doubles
| Seed | Pair | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kim Won-ho / Seo Seung-jae | South Korea |
| 2 | Liang Weikeng / Wang Chang | China |
| 3 | Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Shohibul Fikri | Indonesia |
| 4 | Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik | Malaysia |
Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik vs Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi
One of the most anticipated matches of the opening round pits Malaysia’s fourth seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik against defending champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi.
The Japanese pair won the 2025 Denmark Open by defeating Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in a three-game final.
They now face a significant obstacle at the very beginning of their title defence.
For Chia and Soh, the match offers an opportunity to eliminate the reigning champions and establish momentum in their own title challenge.
Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae Meet Danish Pair
Top seeds Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae begin their campaign against Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard.
The Korean combination will be among the leading favourites for the title, but facing home opposition in the opening round adds another dimension to the contest.
Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Fikri Face Home Stars
Indonesia’s third seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri meet Denmark’s experienced pair Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in the first round.
It is another unusually demanding early-round matchup between established international combinations.
Fajar and Fikri finished runners-up at the 2025 Denmark Open. They will be seeking to go one better this year, although their difficult draw means they cannot afford a slow start.
Other interesting opening matches include Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty against China’s He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu and England’s Ben Lane/Sean Vendy against Indonesia’s Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin.
With so many dangerous pairs meeting in the first round, the men’s doubles field may look considerably different by the quarterfinal stage.
Women’s Doubles Draw Preview: A New Champion Will Be Crowned
The women’s doubles competition will feature a change of champions following the absence of 2025 titleholders Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee from the published 2026 draw.
Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto head the field as the top seeds, followed by Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.
Both pairs receive first-round byes and will begin their campaigns in the second round.
Leading Women’s Doubles Contenders
| Seed | Pair | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuki Fukushima / Mayu Matsumoto | Japan |
| 2 | Pearly Tan / Thinaah Muralitharan | Malaysia |
| 3 | Rin Iwanaga / Kie Nakanishi | Japan |
| 4 | Hsu Yin-Hui / Lin Jhih Yun | Chinese Taipei |
Fukushima/Matsumoto Lead Japanese Challenge
Top seeds Fukushima and Matsumoto have a favourable starting position thanks to their first-round bye.
Japan also has several other pairs in the field, including third seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.
Iwanaga and Nakanishi, who won the Denmark Open in 2024, begin against fellow Japanese pair Sayaka Hirota and Ayako Sakuramoto.
The all-Japanese contest guarantees that one strong combination will be eliminated in the opening round.
Pearly Tan/Thinaah Seek Another Major Title
Malaysia’s second seeds Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan are positioned in the bottom half of the draw.
Like the top seeds, they receive a bye into the second round.
Should both seeded pairs progress through their respective halves, a final between Fukushima/Matsumoto and Pearly/Thinaah is possible.
However, several other combinations are capable of challenging them.
More Women’s Doubles Matches to Watch
Indonesia has multiple combinations in the competition, including Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Meilysa Trias Puspitasari, Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, and Rachel Allessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum.
Among the noteworthy opening encounters:
- Gabriela Stoeva/Stefani Stoeva vs Hsu Yin-hui/Lin Jhih-yun: The Bulgarian sisters meet the fourth seeds from Chinese Taipei.
- Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi vs Sayaka Hirota/Ayako Sakuramoto: A challenging domestic matchup for Japan’s third seeds.
- Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand vs Yan Fei-chen/Hsieh Pei–shan: India’s pair faces Chinese Taipei opposition.
- Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti vs Kim Yu-jung/Lee Yu-lim: An Indonesia–South Korea encounter.
With the reigning champions absent, the women’s doubles title race offers an opportunity for another pair to lift the trophy in Odense.
Mixed Doubles Draw Preview: Feng/Huang Chase Fourth Consecutive Denmark Open Title
China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping return to Denmark with an opportunity to extend their remarkable dominance at this tournament.
The pair have won the Denmark Open mixed doubles title in three consecutive editions, from 2023 to 2025.
They enter the 2026 competition as the top seeds.
Compatriots Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin occupy the second-seeded position, while Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje are seeded third.
Top Four Seeds in Mixed Doubles
| Seed | Pair | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feng Yanzhe / Huang Dongping | China |
| 2 | Jiang Zhenbang / Wei Yaxin | China |
| 3 | Mathias Christiansen / Alexandra Bøje | Denmark |
| 4 | Thom Gicquel / Delphine Delrue | France |
Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping Begin Title Defence
Feng and Huang open their campaign against Chinese Taipei’s Wu Hsuan-yi and Yang Chu-yun.
The Chinese stars will be looking to continue a winning tradition that has made them particularly successful at this event.
In the 2025 final, they defeated compatriots Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 21–13, 21–9.
Because the two Chinese combinations are placed in opposite halves of the 2026 draw, another all-Chinese championship final remains possible.
Danish Hopes Rest on Christiansen/Bøje
Home supporters will be keeping a close eye on third seeds Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje.
The Danish combination begins against Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson.
A strong run from Christiansen and Bøje would add further excitement for the local audience.
Other Mixed Doubles Contenders
France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue begin against South Korea’s Kim Jae-hyeon and Jang Ha-jeong.
Thailand’s fifth seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran face Chinese Taipei’s Wu Guan-xun and Lee Chia-hsin.
Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi also feature in the draw, beginning against China’s Gao Jiaxuan and Wu Mengying.
Indonesia’s Amri Syahnawi and Nita Violina Marwah face sixth seeds Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui of China, while Dejan Ferdinansyah and Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu meet Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang of Chinese Taipei.
With several accomplished pairs spread across the bracket, the mixed doubles competition should provide plenty of exciting matches throughout the week.
Where to Find the Full Denmark Open 2026 Draws
Fans can explore the complete tournament brackets through the official BWF website.
The draws cover all five disciplines:
- Men’s Singles (MS)
- Women’s Singles (WS)
- Men’s Doubles (MD)
- Women’s Doubles (WD)
- Mixed Doubles (XD)
Visit the official Denmark Open 2026 draw page on the BWF World Tour website to explore the brackets, or check our Denmark Open tournament page for further information.
The draw analysis in this article is based on the published brackets dated October 6, 2026. Draw positions and matchups may change following withdrawals or other tournament updates.
Denmark Open 2026 Defending Champions: Who Is Returning?
Five champions were crowned at the 2025 Denmark Open, but not all will return to defend their titles in 2026.
According to the published 2026 draws, four of the five defending champions are entered, while the reigning women’s doubles champions are absent.
2025 Champions and Their 2026 Participation
| Discipline | 2025 Champion | Competing in 2026? |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Singles | Jonatan Christie (Indonesia) | Yes |
| Women’s Singles | An Se-young (South Korea) | Yes |
| Men’s Doubles | Takuro Hoki / Yugo Kobayashi (Japan) | Yes |
| Women’s Doubles | Baek Ha-na / Lee So-hee (South Korea) | No — not in published draw |
| Mixed Doubles | Feng Yanzhe / Huang Dongping (China) | Yes |
Jonatan Christie: Seeking Back-to-Back Men’s Singles Titles
Jonatan Christie won the 2025 Denmark Open after defeating China’s Shi Yuqi 13–21, 21–15, 21–15 in the men’s singles final.
Christie returns in 2026 as the fourth seed and will begin his title defence against Lin Chun-yi of Chinese Taipei.
His presence means Indonesia has an opportunity to celebrate consecutive men’s singles titles in Odense, although several strong opponents stand in his way.
An Se-young: Defending Her 2025 Crown
South Korea’s An Se-young claimed the 2025 women’s singles title by defeating Wang Zhiyi 21–5, 24–22.
She is back as the top seed for 2026 and faces India’s PV Sindhu in the opening round.
An Se-young will be among the leading contenders to lift the trophy again, but the difficult first-round draw means she must be prepared from her opening match.
Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi: Facing an Immediate Challenge
Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi secured the 2025 men’s doubles championship with a 21–18, 15–21, 21–19 victory over Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
The Japanese pair are back in the 2026 draw, but their title defence starts against fourth seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia.
It is arguably one of the toughest possible opening assignments for a defending champion.
Baek Ha-na/Lee So-hee: Not Defending the Women’s Doubles Title
Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee won the 2025 women’s doubles title after defeating fellow South Koreans Kim Hye-jeong and Kong Hee-yong 15–21, 21–14, 21–15.
However, the defending champions are not listed in the official draw published on October 6, 2026.
Their absence means the title cannot be defended by the same pair under the published draw. The document does not specify why they are absent.
With the previous champions missing, the women’s doubles event is guaranteed to produce a different winning pair if the field remains unchanged.
Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping: Chasing Four Straight Titles
China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping have dominated the Denmark Open mixed doubles competition in recent years.
The pair claimed titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025, establishing an impressive three-year winning streak.
They return in 2026 as the top seeds, opening against Wu Hsuan-yi and Yang Chu-yun of Chinese Taipei.
Another triumph would give them a remarkable fourth consecutive Denmark Open mixed doubles crown.
Their biggest challengers could include second seeds Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin, third seeds Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Bøje and fourth seeds Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue.
With four reigning champions returning, several blockbuster first-round matches and a wide-open women’s doubles title race, the Victor Denmark Open 2026 is shaping up to be another exciting chapter in the tournament’s history.
