2025 King Cup
December 26 – December 28
The 2025 Shenzhen Metro Tod King Cup International Badminton Open (Chinese: 2025深圳地铁TOD王杯国际羽毛球公开赛) is a professional exhibition badminton tournament to be held in Shenzhen, China, from December 26 to December 28, 2025. It is the second edition of the King Cup, an event founded by Chinese badminton legend Lin Dan to promote men’s singles badminton. The tournament features eight invited men’s singles players competing for a total prize pool of CN¥3 million.
The defending champion is Anders Antonsen of Denmark, who won the inaugural edition in 2024.
Venue
The tournament will be held at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in the Nanshan District of Shenzhen, China. Known as the “Spring Cocoon” for its distinctive architectural design, the venue is a major multi-purpose indoor arena capable of hosting large-scale international sporting events.
Format and Schedule
The tournament employs a single-elimination knock-out system featuring eight players. The competition spans three days:
- Quarter-finals: Friday, December 26, 2025
- Semi-finals: Saturday, December 27, 2025
- Finals & Exhibition: Sunday, December 28, 2025
Unlike standard BWF World Tour events, the final day (December 28) includes the Third Place Match, the Championship Final, and a special “King Exhibition Match” featuring invited guests or legends, followed by the Award Ceremony.
Participants
The event features an invitational field of eight elite men’s singles players. As of December 2025, five players have been officially confirmed, with the remaining three spots to be announced.
Confirmed Players:
- Anders Antonsen (Denmark) – Defending Champion
- Jonatan Christie (Indonesia)
- Alex Lanier (France)
- Jason Teh (Singapore)
- Victor Lai (Canada)
1. Anders Antonsen (Denmark)
- Status: Defending Champion & The Tactician
- 2025 Season Highlights:
- Winner: French Open (Super 750), Indonesia Open (Super 1000).
- Runner-up: Thailand Open.
- World Ranking: Consistent Top 5 presence throughout the year.
- Player Narrative: Antonsen returns to Shenzhen as the man to beat. His 2025 season has been defined by tactical maturity; he has successfully evolved his game from purely defensive rallying to controlling the front court. As the inaugural King Cup winner, he has the psychological edge of knowing exactly what it takes to win in this unique format.
2. Jonatan “Jojo” Christie (Indonesia)
- Status: The In-Form Challenger
- 2025 Season Highlights:
- Winner: Korea Open (Super 500), Denmark Open (Super 750), Hylo Open (Super 500).
- Key Victory: Defeated Antonsen in the Korea Open final, sparking their late-season rivalry.
- Player Narrative: Christie is arguably the most dangerous player in the second half of 2025. His physical conditioning is at its peak, allowing him to grind down opponents in long rallies before unleashing his signature overhead smash. He arrives in China looking to capitalize on his momentum from the European leg of the tour.
3. Alex Lanier (France)
- Status: The European Prodigy
- 2025 Season Highlights:
- Winner: 2025 European Championships (Gold Medal), Orleans Masters.
- Breakthrough: Cracked the World Top 10 for the first time in March 2025.
- Player Narrative: At just 20 years old, Lanier has transitioned from “rising star” to a genuine title threat. By becoming the 2025 European Champion, he proved he can handle championship pressure. His game is built on deceptive net play and a fearlessness that often rattles veteran opponents. He is the wildcard who could upset the favorites.
4. Jason Teh (Singapore)
- Status: The Comeback Kid
- 2025 Season Highlights:
- Winner: Thailand Masters (Super 300), Korea Masters (Super 300).
- Resilience: Broke a mid-season “lean spell” to win the Korea Masters in November, proving his mental toughness.
- Player Narrative: Teh has had a rollercoaster 2025, bookended by two brilliant title wins. His victory in Korea just last month (November 2025) suggests he is peaking at the right time. A relentless runner with a solid defense, Teh thrives when opponents underestimate his ability to return the shuttle.
5. Victor Lai (Canada)
- Status: The Giant Killer
- 2025 Season Highlights:
- Historic Achievement: Won a Bronze Medal at the 2025 World Championships (Paris), becoming the first Canadian men’s singles player to do so.
- Runner-up: Canada Open (Super 300).
- Player Narrative: The biggest surprise of the 2025 season. A university student who balances textbooks with elite badminton, Lai shocked the world by defeating former World Champion Loh Kean Yew en route to his historic bronze in Paris. He plays with a “nothing to lose” freedom that makes him incredibly dangerous in a knock-out format like the King Cup.
Prize Money
The total prize money for the 2025 tournament is CN¥3,000,000. This is one of the highest prize pools for an independent exhibition event in badminton. The distribution sees the winner claiming CN¥1.2 million.
Exchange rates are estimated based on December 2025 market rates (approx. 1 CNY = 0.14 USD / 0.58 MYR).
| Achievement | Prize Money (CNY) | Prize Money (USD) | Prize Money (MYR) |
| Champion | ¥ 1,200,000 | $ 169,700 | RM 698,600 |
| Runner-up | ¥ 600,000 | $ 84,850 | RM 349,300 |
| Third Place | ¥ 350,000 | $ 49,500 | RM 203,770 |
| Fourth Place | ¥ 250,000 | $ 35,350 | RM 145,550 |
| 5th – 8th Place | ¥ 150,000 | $ 21,210 | RM 87,330 |
| Total Pool | ¥ 3,000,000 | $ 424,240 | RM 1,746,600 |