The HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2025 gets underway tomorrow in Hangzhou, where the world’s elite shuttlers converge for badminton’s most exclusive and unforgiving season finale. Staged at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre from 17 to 21 December, the World Tour Finals brings together only the top eight players and pairs in each discipline battling in a round-robin format.
This year’s edition carries added historical weight, with records under threat, age milestones in sight and several nations chasing their first-ever World Tour Finals titles.
Shi Yu Qi Leads Men’s Singles Charge on Home Soil
Fresh from being crowned BWF Men’s Singles Player of the Year 2025, China’s Shi Yu Qi arrives in Hangzhou as the man to beat.
The 29-year-old will be highly motivated to translate individual accolades into silverware on home soil. Shi is chasing a back-to-back World Tour Finals title and a third overall crown since the event was introduced in its current format in 2018 — a feat that would further cement his status among the sport’s modern greats.
Shi has been drawn into a competitive Group B, alongside compatriot Li Shi Feng, Japanese star Kodai Naraoka, and veteran Chou Tien Chen who could set a new milestone as the oldest World Tour Finals champion should he go all the way into the finals.
Group A promises equally explosive encounters, featuring World Championships silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, France’s Christo Popov, and Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, making men’s singles one of the most wide-open disciplines of the tournament.
An Se Young Targets Records in Women’s Singles
In women’s singles, all eyes will be on World No.1 An Se Young, who enters the Finals seeking a record-equalling 11th title of the season. The Olympic champion faces an immediate test in Group A, alongside reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi, Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani, and Japan’sTomoka Miyazaki.
Group B features a compelling all-Asia contest, with China’s Wang Zhi Yi and Han Yue in the fray, together with Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong and former world champion Ratchanok Intanon, all battling for the two semifinal spots.
Men’s Doubles: A Group of Death Awaits
Men’s doubles is expected to deliver some of the tournament’s most intense action, particularly in Group B, widely regarded as a “Group of Death”. Second seeds Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia face stiff competition from India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty, China’s Liang Wei Keng / Wang Chang, and Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
Korean top seeds Seo Seung Jae / Kim Won Ho arrive in Hangzhou on a mission of their own, chasing the men’s doubles record for most titles in a single season and looking to cap a historic year with the sport’s most prestigious season-ending prize.
Women’s Doubles: Heavyweights Collide
Women’s doubles also promises high drama.
In Group A, Malaysia’s top seeds Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan face a formidable challenge against China’s Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian, and Japan’s Yuki Fukushima/Mayu Matsumoto and Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi.
Group B sees reigning world champions Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning tested by defending champions Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee, Korea’s Kim Hye Jeong / Kong Hee Yong, and season finale debutants Hsieh Pei Shan/Hung En Tzu of Chinese Taipei.
Mixed Doubles: Malaysia Eye Strong Finish
With two pairs in contention, Malaysia will surely fancy its chances of ending the year strongly in mixed doubles.
World champions Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei and Goh Soon Huat/Shevon Lai are drawn into Group B, alongside second seeds Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping and Indonesia’s Jafar Hidayatullah / Felisha Albert Nathaniel Pasaribu.
Thailand’s top seeds and reigning Pair of the Year Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Supissara Paewsampran headline Group A, where they face stiff opposition from China’s Jiang Zhen Bang / Wei Ya Xin, France’s Thom Gicquel / Delphine Delrue, and Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa / Natsu Saito.
The HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2025 promises a fitting conclusion to a gruelling year — and a revealing glimpse of what lies ahead as players begin shaping their preparations for the 2026 season and the Asian Games in Nagoya.
GROUP STAGE LINE-UP
Men’s Singles
Group A: Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA), Anders Antonsen (DEN), Christo Popov (FRA), Jonatan Christie (INA)
Group B: Li Shi Feng (CHN), Chou Tien Chen (HKG, China), Shi Yu Qi (CHN), Kodai Naraoka (JPN)
Women’s Singles
Group A: An Se Young (KOR), Akane Yamaguchi (JPN), Putri Kusuma Wardani (INA), Tomoka Miyazaki (JPN)
Group B: Wang Zhi Yi (CHN), Han Yue (CHN), Pornpawee Chochuwong (THA), Ratchanok Intanon (THA)
Men’s Doubles
Group A: Kim Won Ho / Seo Seung Jae (KOR), Man Wei Chong / Tee Kai Mun (MAS), Sabar Karyaman Gutama / Mohd Reza Pahlavi Isfahani (INA), Chiu Hsiang Chieh / Wang Chi-Lin (TPE)
Group B: Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik (MAS), Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty (IND), Liang Wei Keng / Wang Chang (CHN), Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Shohibul Fikri (INA)
Women’s Double
Group A: Pearly Tan / Thinaah Muralitharan (MAS), Jia Yi Fan / Zhang Shu Xian (CHN), Yuki Fukushima / Mayu Matsumoto (JPN), Rin Iwanaga / Kie Nakanishi (JPN)
Group B: Kim Hye Jeong / Kong Hee Yong (KOR), Liu Sheng Shu / Tan Ning (CHN), Baek Ha Na / Lee So Hee (KOR), Hsieh Pei Shan / Hung En Tzu (TPE)
Mixed Doubles
Group A: Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Supissara Paewsampran (THA), Jiang Zhen Bang / Wei Ya Xin (CHN), Thom Gicquel / Delphine Delrue (FRA), Hiroki Midorikawa / Natsu Saito (JPN)
Group B: Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping (CHN), Chen Tang Jie / Toh Ee Wei (MAS), Goh Soon Huat / Shevon Lai (MAS), Jafar Hidayatullah / Felisha Albert Nathaniel Pasaribu (INA)
