2026 Korea Open Draw Preview: Seeds, First-Round Matches & Potential Clashes
The 2026 Korea Open draw has been released, setting up several interesting first-round matches across all five disciplines. An Se-young, Chou Tien-chen, Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae, and Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin are among the top-seeded players in Yeosu.
Officially known as the YEOSU VICTOR Korea Open 2026, the tournament will take place from November 3 to 8 at Jinnam Stadium in Yeosu, South Korea. The HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament offers US$500,000 in total prize money.
The draw features experienced champions, emerging talents, and several difficult opening matches for seeded players. Here is a closer look at the men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles draws.
Korea Open 2026 Tournament Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | YEOSU VICTOR Korea Open 2026 |
| Dates | November 3–8, 2026 |
| Location | Yeosu, South Korea |
| Venue | Jinnam Stadium |
| Level | HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500 |
| Prize Money | US$500,000 |
| Categories | MS, WS, MD, WD, XD |
| Finals | Sunday, November 8 |
Men’s Singles Draw Preview
Top seed Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei begins his Korea Open campaign against compatriot Wang Yu-kai. He is joined in the top quarter by Japan’s seventh seed Yushi Tanaka, who faces Indonesia’s Zaki Ubaidillah in the opening round.
Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, seeded third, is also in the top half and will play Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia-hao in the first round.
Sixth seed Koki Watanabe faces Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long, while Anthony Sinisuka Ginting has a potentially challenging opening match against Lee Cheuk Yiu.
The bottom half features Canada’s second seed Victor Lai, fourth seed Alwi Farhan of Indonesia, India’s Lakshya Sen, and China’s Li Shifeng.
Alwi faces Japan’s experienced Kenta Nishimoto in the first round. If both Alwi and eighth seed Li Shifeng progress through their opening two matches, they could meet in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Victor Lai opens against fellow Canadian Brian Yang, ensuring that only one of the two players can reach the second round.
Men’s Singles First-Round Matches to Watch
| Match | Players |
|---|---|
| 1 | Chou Tien-chen [1] vs Wang Yu-kai |
| 2 | Yushi Tanaka [7] vs Zaki Ubaidillah |
| 3 | Kodai Naraoka [3] vs Lee Chia-hao |
| 4 | Koki Watanabe [6] vs Ng Ka Long |
| 5 | Lee Cheuk Yiu vs Anthony Sinisuka Ginting |
| 6 | Prahdiska Bagas Shujiwo vs Li Shifeng [8] |
| 7 | Kenta Nishimoto vs Alwi Farhan [4] |
| 8 | Brian Yang vs Victor Lai [2] |
Potential Men’s Singles Quarterfinals
If the eight seeds advance as expected, the quarterfinal matches would be:
- Chou Tien-chen [1] vs Yushi Tanaka [7]
- Kodai Naraoka [3] vs Koki Watanabe [6]
- Li Shifeng [8] vs Alwi Farhan [4]
- Lakshya Sen [5] vs Victor Lai [2]
Chou and Naraoka are placed in the same half, while Alwi and Victor Lai could potentially meet in the semifinals.
The men’s singles draw also includes four places reserved for qualifiers. Sixteen players will compete for those positions.
Women’s Singles Draw Preview
South Korea’s An Se-young is the top seed in women’s singles and has been drawn against Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova in the first round.
If An competes and wins her opening match, she will face either Malaysia’s Letshanaa Karupathevan or Thailand’s Tonrug Saeheng in the second round.
Japan’s eighth seed Riko Gunji is in the same quarter. A successful run by both players could produce an An Se-young–Riko Gunji quarterfinal.
However, An’s participation remains uncertain because of physical problems following the Denmark Open and French Open. She remains listed in the official draw, but her final decision will depend on her recovery.
The second quarter features Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki and Hina Akechi, seeded third and fifth, respectively.
Miyazaki begins against Chinese Taipei’s Huang Ching-ping, while Akechi will meet a qualifier. India’s Tanvi Sharma and Japan’s Manami Suizu are also in this section.
Bottom Half: Sim Yu-jin and Akane Yamaguchi
Fourth seed Sim Yu-jin leads the South Korean challenge in the bottom half and opens against India’s Malvika Bansod.
Chinese Taipei’s Lin Hsiang-ti, seeded sixth, faces South Korea’s Kim Min-ji. The two seeds could meet in the quarterfinals if they progress.
At the bottom of the draw, defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan is seeded second and will face Hong Kong’s Lo Sin Yan in the first round.
Other players in Yamaguchi’s section include India’s Anmol Kharb, Canada’s Rachel Chan, and Chinese Taipei’s seventh seed Chiu Pin-chian.
Women’s Singles First-Round Matches to Watch
| Match | Players |
|---|---|
| 1 | An Se-young [1] vs Kaloyana Nalbantova |
| 2 | Letshanaa Karupathevan vs Tonrug Saeheng |
| 3 | Tomoka Miyazaki [3] vs Huang Ching-ping |
| 4 | Tanvi Sharma vs Manami Suizu |
| 5 | Kim Min-ji vs Lin Hsiang-ti [6] |
| 6 | Malvika Bansod vs Sim Yu-jin [4] |
| 7 | Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan vs Wong Ling Ching |
| 8 | Lo Sin Yan vs Akane Yamaguchi [2] |
Potential Women’s Singles Quarterfinals
The seeded positions create four possible quarterfinals:
- An Se-young [1] vs Riko Gunji [8]
- Tomoka Miyazaki [3] vs Hina Akechi [5]
- Lin Hsiang-ti [6] vs Sim Yu-jin [4]
- Chiu Pin-chian [7] vs Akane Yamaguchi [2]
An Se-young and Akane Yamaguchi are in opposite halves of the draw, meaning they could only meet in the final.
Four qualifying places are available in women’s singles, with eight players competing for them.
Men’s Doubles Draw Preview
South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae, the defending champions, are the top seeds in the men’s doubles draw.
The Korean pair will open against Czech brothers Jiří Král and Ondřej Král. A victory would take them into the second round against either fellow Koreans Jin Yong and Jo Song-hyeon or Malaysia’s Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong.
China’s Wang Chang and Xie Haonan, seeded eighth, are also in the top quarter. They begin against Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami.
Malaysia’s third seeds Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun face compatriots Low Hang Yee and Ng Eng Cheong in the first round.
Another seeded Chinese pair, Hu Keyuan and Liang Weikeng, starts against Japan’s Hiroki Okamura and Kyohei Yamashita.
Bottom Half: Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik
Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik are the second seeds and occupy the bottom position in the draw.
They will face fellow Malaysians Chia Weijie and Teo Ee Yi in their opening match.
Japan’s fifth seeds Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi are in the same quarter and begin against South Korea’s Kim Gi-jung and Kim Sa-rang.
Meanwhile, Japan’s seventh seeds Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi have been drawn against China’s He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu, one of the most interesting first-round encounters in the men’s doubles draw.
Men’s Doubles First-Round Matches to Watch
| Match | Players |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kim Won-ho / Seo Seung-jae [1] vs Jiří Král / Ondřej Král |
| 2 | Wang Chang / Xie Haonan [8] vs Takumi Nomura / Yuichi Shimogami |
| 3 | Man Wei Chong / Tee Kai Wun [3] vs Low Hang Yee / Ng Eng Cheong |
| 4 | Hu Keyuan / Liang Weikeng [6] vs Hiroki Okamura / Kyohei Yamashita |
| 5 | He Jiting / Ren Xiangyu vs Kakeru Kumagai / Hiroki Nishi [7] |
| 6 | Kim Gi-jung / Kim Sa-rang vs Takuro Hoki / Yugo Kobayashi [5] |
| 7 | Chia Weijie / Teo Ee Yi vs Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik [2] |
Potential Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals
Based on the positions of the eight seeded pairs, the projected quarterfinals are:
- Kim Won-ho / Seo Seung-jae [1] vs Wang Chang / Xie Haonan [8]
- Man Wei Chong / Tee Kai Wun [3] vs Hu Keyuan / Liang Weikeng [6]
- Kakeru Kumagai / Hiroki Nishi [7] vs Chen Boyang / Liu Yi [4]
- Takuro Hoki / Yugo Kobayashi [5] vs Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik [2]
Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae could face Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun in the semifinals, while Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik are in the opposite half.
Four additional pairs will enter the men’s doubles main draw through qualification.
Women’s Doubles Draw Preview
Japan dominates the seeded positions in women’s doubles, with five of the eight seeded pairs representing the country.
Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto are the top seeds, while Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi are seeded second.
Bulgaria’s Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva are the third seeds, with Japan’s Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita seeded fourth.
Unlike the singles and men’s doubles events, the women’s doubles draw contains 24 pairs. All eight seeded pairs receive first-round byes and begin their campaigns in the second round.
Top Half of the Women’s Doubles Draw
Fukushima and Matsumoto will face either fellow Japanese pair Ririna Hiramoto and Chiharu Shida or Chinese Taipei’s Chen Su-yu and Chen Han in their opening match.
The eighth-seeded American pair Lauren Lam and Allison Lee is also in the top quarter.
In the second quarter, Bulgaria’s Stoeva sisters will meet the winners of the first-round match between Indonesia’s Isyana Syahira Meida and Rinjani Kwinnara Nastine and South Korea’s Moon In-seo and Park Seul.
Sixth seeds Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara are positioned in the same quarter.
Bottom Half of the Women’s Doubles Draw
Japan’s Sayaka Hirota and Ayako Sakuramoto, seeded fifth, are in the bottom half alongside fourth seeds Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita.
China’s Bao Lijing and Cao Zihan, seeded seventh in the official draw, are positioned in the final quarter alongside second seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.
The bottom section also includes India’s Sonali Singh and Ritika Thaker, who face Australia’s Laudya Chelsea Griselda and Nozomi Shimizu.
Women’s Doubles First-Round Matches to Watch
| Match | Players |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ririna Hiramoto / Chiharu Shida vs Chen Su-yu / Chen Han |
| 2 | Chen Yan-fei / Sun Liang-ching vs Nanako Hara / Riko Kiyose |
| 3 | Isyana Syahira Meida / Rinjani Kwinnara Nastine vs Moon In-seo / Park Seul |
| 4 | Kim Hye-jeong / Lee Yeon-woo vs Polina Buhrova / Yevheniia Kantemyr |
| 5 | Chou Yun-an / Hsieh Pei-shan vs Li Yijing / Wang Yiduo |
| 6 | Sonali Singh / Ritika Thaker vs Laudya Chelsea Griselda / Nozomi Shimizu |
Potential Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals
If all eight seeded pairs reach the quarterfinals, the matches would be:
- Yuki Fukushima / Mayu Matsumoto [1] vs Lauren Lam / Allison Lee [8]
- Gabriela Stoeva / Stefani Stoeva [3] vs Rui Hirokami / Sayaka Hobara [6]
- Sayaka Hirota / Ayako Sakuramoto [5] vs Hinata Suzuki / Nao Yamakita [4]
- Bao Lijing / Cao Zihan [7] vs Rin Iwanaga / Kie Nakanishi [2]
The top-seeded Fukushima and Matsumoto pair is in the opposite half from second seeds Iwanaga and Nakanishi, keeping open the possibility of an all-Japanese final.
Mixed Doubles Draw Preview
China’s Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin are the top seeds in the mixed doubles draw and receive a first-round bye.
They will begin their campaign in the second round against either Chinese Taipei’s Chen Bo-yuan and Chen Yan-fei or Japan’s Haruki Kawabe and Kokona Ishikawa.
China also has the second-seeded pair Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui, who are positioned at the bottom of the draw.
Third seeds Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi are in the top half, while Japan’s fourth seeds Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi lead one of the bottom-half sections.
Top Half: Chinese Pairs Lead the Challenge
Sixth seeds Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara of Japan face Thailand’s Tonkid Saeheng and Tonrug Saeheng in the opening round.
Third seeds Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi begin against South Korea’s Lee Hyeong-woo and Park Seul.
Japan’s fifth seeds Akira Koga and Natsu Saito have been drawn against Indonesia’s M. Nawaf Khoiriyansyah and Indah Cahya Sari Jamil.
Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie and Chan Wen Tse also feature in the top half. They face Australia’s Andika Ramadiansyah and Nozomi Shimizu in the first round.
Bottom Half: Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi Face Indonesian Pair
One of the notable first-round matches features Indonesia’s Jafar Hidayatullah and Rinjani Kwinnara Nastine against Japan’s fourth seeds Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi.
The winner of that match will face either Chinese Taipei’s Lu Ming-che and Chou Yun-an or South Korea’s Hyun Su-min and Moon In-seo in the second round.
South Korea’s eighth seeds Kim Jae-hyeon and Jang Ha-jeong are also in this quarter.
At the bottom, second seeds Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui will begin against Malaysia’s Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien.
China’s seventh seeds Zhu Yijun and Li Qian occupy the same quarter, creating the possibility of an all-Chinese quarterfinal.
Mixed Doubles First-Round Matches to Watch
| Match | Players |
|---|---|
| 1 | Yuichi Shimogami / Sayaka Hobara [6] vs Tonkid Saeheng / Tonrug Saeheng |
| 2 | Cheng Xing / Zhang Chi [3] vs Lee Hyeong-woo / Park Seul |
| 3 | Chen Tang Jie / Chan Wen Tse vs Andika Ramadiansyah / Nozomi Shimizu |
| 4 | Akira Koga / Natsu Saito [5] vs M. Nawaf Khoiriyansyah / Indah Cahya Sari Jamil |
| 5 | Calvin Devereux / Desiree Toepffer vs Kim Jae-hyeon / Jang Ha-jeong [8] |
| 6 | Jafar Hidayatullah / Rinjani Kwinnara Nastine vs Yuta Watanabe / Maya Taguchi [4] |
| 7 | Wong Tien Ci / Lim Chiew Sien vs Guo Xinwa / Chen Fanghui [2] |
Potential Mixed Doubles Quarterfinals
The draw creates the following possible meetings between seeded pairs:
- Jiang Zhenbang / Wei Yaxin [1] vs Yuichi Shimogami / Sayaka Hobara [6]
- Cheng Xing / Zhang Chi [3] vs Akira Koga / Natsu Saito [5]
- Kim Jae-hyeon / Jang Ha-jeong [8] vs Yuta Watanabe / Maya Taguchi [4]
- Zhu Yijun / Li Qian [7] vs Guo Xinwa / Chen Fanghui [2]
Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin are in the same half as Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi, while Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui could face Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi in the semifinals.
Korea Open 2026 Qualification Draw
Three categories feature qualifying rounds before the remaining main-draw positions can be filled.
| Event | Qualifying Entries | Main-Draw Places |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Singles | 16 players | 4 |
| Women’s Singles | 8 players | 4 |
| Men’s Doubles | 8 pairs | 4 |
| Women’s Doubles | No qualification | — |
| Mixed Doubles | No qualification | — |
The men’s singles qualifying draw includes Richie Duta Richardo, Cheam June Wei, Kantaphon Wangcharoen, Minoru Koga, and Jeon Hyeok-jin.
In women’s singles, Indonesia’s Ni Kadek Dhinda Amartya Pratiwi and Mutiara Ayu Puspitasari are among the eight qualifying players.
The men’s doubles qualification features pairs from Japan, Chinese Taipei, India, Malaysia, South Korea, and a combination representing England and Australia.
Players and pairs advancing through qualification will fill the positions marked Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 in the relevant main draws.
Defending Champions and Players to Watch
Several defending champions are included in the 2026 Korea Open draw.
Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi returns as the defending women’s singles champion and is seeded second.
South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae will attempt to defend their men’s doubles title as the top-seeded pair.
However, the defending men’s singles champion, Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, is not included in the October 27 main draw.
In women’s doubles, 2025 champion Kim Hye-jeong returns with a different partner, Lee Yeon-woo, while her former championship partner Kong Hee-yong is not listed.
The defending mixed doubles champions Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping are also absent from the supplied draw.
Korea Open 2026 Draw Updates
The draw used for this preview was published on October 27, 2026, and remains subject to changes before the tournament begins.
The most important uncertainty involves women’s singles top seed An Se-young. Following her recent European tournaments, she has indicated that she will assess her physical condition before deciding whether to compete in Yeosu.
As of October 31, she remains in the supplied draw against Kaloyana Nalbantova, but her participation has not been confirmed.
Any late withdrawals, replacements, or changes involving qualifying players may affect the first-round matches and potential later-round meetings described in this preview.
Where to Find the Full Korea Open 2026 Draw
Fans can check the complete men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles brackets through the official BWF World Tour Korea Open 2026 page.
The tournament begins on Tuesday, November 3, and concludes with the five finals on Sunday, November 8, 2026.
Draw last checked: October 31, 2026. Brackets and seedings are based on the official BWF draw printed October 27, 2026. All projected matches are conditional on players advancing and are not predictions of results.
