2026 US Open Badminton Championships

The dynamic sport of badminton is returning to Southern California. The 2026 Yonex US Open Badminton Championships promise a week of fast-paced rallies, exceptional athletic skill, and intense global competition.

As a prominent stop on the global badminton circuit, this tournament features elite players from across the globe competing for essential ranking points and a substantial financial purse. Below is a comprehensive structural overview of everything you need to know about this major sports event, covering tournament schedules, venue details, financial structures, and notable athletes to follow.

Tournament Dates and Venue

The 2026 US Open Badminton Championships will take place over six days, from June 23 to June 28, 2026.

Venue Breakdown

• Stadium: Titan Gym
• Location: California State University, Fullerton (CSUF)
• City/State: Fullerton, California, USA

Titan Gym is a classic, high-energy sports arena well-regarded by regional sports enthusiasts. Located on the campus of California State University Fullerton, the facility provides an intimate setting where fans can view the action up close. For professional badminton, the venue will be configured to handle up to four courts simultaneously during the opening rounds, eventualizing into a single, high-stakes television show court for Sunday’s finals.

Event Status

The tournament is officially sanctioned as part of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300 circuit. This status places it as a Grade 2 (Level 5) event within the Badminton World Federation structure. Super 300 tournaments are important entry points for rising international stars trying to secure ranking points to break into the global top tier, alongside established top-20 veterans seeking consistent competitive play and podium titles.

Provisional Competition Schedule

The tournament uses a standard direct-elimination knockout format across five core disciplines: Men’s Singles (MS), Women’s Singles (WS), Men’s Doubles (MD), Women’s Doubles (WD), and Mixed Doubles (XD).

Below is the provisional schedule of play for the week. Please keep in mind that the exact order of play and match times remain subject to change at the sole discretion of the Tournament Referee.

Date	Disciplines	Tournament Round	Number of Courts	Doors Open	Start Time
Tuesday, 23 June	All Disciplines MD & WD	Qualification Rounds Round of 32 (Excl. Qualifiers)	4	08:30 15:30	09:00 16:00
Wednesday, 24 June	All Disciplines	Round of 32 (Main Draw)	4	09:30	10:00
Thursday, 25 June	All Disciplines	Round of 16	4	11:30	12:00
Friday, 26 June	All Disciplines	Quarterfinals	3	14:30	15:00
Saturday, 27 June	All Disciplines	Semifinals	2	11:00	12:00
Sunday, 28 June	All Disciplines	Championship Finals	1	11:00	12:00

Critical Scheduling Notes

The Macau Open Rule: To prevent logistical conflicts and ensure athlete well-being, any finalist from the Sands China Ltd. Macau Open Badminton 2026 will have their main draw first-round matches scheduled on Wednesday, June 24. This excludes any players forced to go through the qualification rounds, as all qualifying brackets must conclude on Tuesday, June 23.

Prize Money and Points Distribution

The 2026 US Open features a total prize fund of US$250,000. The money is distributed in strict accordance with BWF Statute 5.3.5.

Prize Money Breakdown

The financial payouts differ slightly between the individual singles categories and the collaborative doubles pairs. For doubles events, the financial figures noted with an asterisk (*) represent the total collective fund allocated per pair, rather than per individual athlete.

Discipline	Winner	Runner-up	Semifinalist	Quarterfinalist	Last 16 (R16)
Men’s Singles	$18,750.00	$9,500.00	$3,625.00	$1,500.00	$875.00
Women’s Singles	$18,750.00	$9,500.00	$3,625.00	$1,500.00	$875.00
Men’s Doubles	$19,750.00*	$9,500.00*	$3,500.00*	$1,812.50*	$937.50*
Women’s Doubles	$19,750.00*	$9,500.00*	$3,500.00*	$1,812.50*	$937.50*
Mixed Doubles	$19,750.00*	$9,500.00*	$3,500.00*	$1,812.50*	$937.50*

Important Tax Regulations for Foreign Athletes

Foreign competitors must navigate specific legal financial realities when playing in the United States. USA Badminton explicitly advises that any non-U.S. citizen who wins prize money at the US Open may be subject to an Income Tax withholding of 30%.

This percentage can be lower if a specific tax treaty applies between the athlete’s home nation and the United States. These necessary deductions are automatically withheld from the payout check and sent to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Foreign players are highly encouraged to consult a licensed tax advisor to discuss their specific personal tax liabilities before the start of the competition.

BWF World Ranking Points

Beyond the monetary rewards, players fight for positions on the BWF World Rankings list. A strong finish in Fullerton can drastically improve a player’s seeding for larger Super 500 and Super 1000 tournaments down the road.

The points for a BWF Tour Super 300 event follow a set structure based on where an athlete finishes in the tournament bracket:

• Winner: 7,000 points
• Runner-up: 5,950 points
• Semifinalists (3rd/4th place): 4,900 points
• Quarterfinalists (5th-8th place): 3,850 points
• Last 16 (9th-16th place): 2,750 points
• Last 32 (17th-32nd place): 1,670 points

Stars to Watch

The provisional entry lists indicate a balanced mix of global icons, regional continental champions, and domestic American contenders hoping to capture a title on home soil.

Men’s Singles: A Clash of Playing Styles

The men’s draw features a fascinating dynamic between defensive experience and young, aggressive offensive speed.

• Chou Tien-chen (Chinese Taipei): Entering the event as the top seed and ranked number 6 globally with 82,080 points, the highly experienced veteran remains the gold standard of consistency. Having played 28 tournaments over the past year, Chou’s patience and court coverage make him the clear favorite.
• Lakshya Sen (India): Seeded 2nd and ranked 11th in the world, Sen is one of the most explosive movers in badminton. His diving defenses and lightning-fast net kills make him an immediate crowd favorite.
• Kidambi Srikanth (India): A former world number 1 currently ranked 27th globally. Srikanth brings creative deception and a legacy of elite shot-making to the draw as the 5th seed.
• Brian Yang (Canada): The Pan-American powerhouse enters as the 3rd seed. Ranked 32nd in the world, Yang knows local playing conditions well and represents North America’s best hope for an upset.

Women’s Singles: Local Legacies and Continental Contenders

The women’s singles event features technical masters alongside a highly anticipated hometown return.

• Michelle Li (Canada): The top seed and world number 10 continues to anchor the Pan-American badminton scene. Her physical baseline game makes her incredibly tough to beat in a three-game match.
• Beiwen Zhang (USA): As the 4th seed and world number 25, Zhang is the local favorite. She holds deep historical ties to this event as a two-time champion (winning in 2014 and 2025). Her pursuit of a third home title will be a central storyline of the tournament.
• Line Christophersen (Denmark): The 2nd seed from Denmark brings classic European tactical precision and powerful steep slicing down the lines.

Doubles Categories: High-Speed Dynamics

The doubles disciplines will be played at an incredibly rapid pace, featuring distinct international duels.

• Men’s Doubles – Ben Lane & Sean Vendy (England): The English tandem enters as the world number 13 and the top seed. Known for their fast mid-court defensive transitions and vocal energy, they are the pairing to beat.
• Mixed Doubles – Presley Smith & Jennie Gai (USA): Carrying the banner for American doubles, this young tandem enters as the top seed in the mixed discipline, ranked 21st in the world. Their established court chemistry gives them an excellent shot at a historic home gold.

Broadcast Information

For fans unable to travel to Fullerton, California, the final stages of the competition will be widely available through international media channels.

The international television broadcast schedule is focused heavily on the critical weekend rounds:

• Semifinals (Saturday, 27 June 2026): Broadcast coverage begins at 12:00 PM local time, showcasing a total of 8 pivotal matches across the different disciplines.
• Championship Finals (Sunday, 28 June 2026): The final broadcast begins at 12:00 PM local time, bringing fans all 5 trophy matches back-to-back.