Birmingham： The 2026 All England Championships delivered dramatic early storylines as several top contenders fell in the opening round of one of badminton’s most prestigious tournaments.
World No. 1 Shi Yuqi and Malaysia’s mixed doubles world champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei were among the biggest names to exit early in Birmingham.
Shi Yuqi Falls to Lakshya Sen
In men’s singles, India’s Lakshya Sen produced a composed and aggressive performance to defeat top seed Shi Yuqi 23-21, 19-21, 21-17. The tightly contested match saw momentum swing repeatedly before Sen seized control late in the deciding game.
The result marks one of the tournament’s most significant early upsets and reshapes the men’s singles draw moving forward.
Watch highlights of Shi Yuqi vs Lakshya Sen below:
Chen Tang Jie–Toh Ee Wei Exit in Three-Game Thriller
Malaysia’s fourth-seeded mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei also endured a disappointing start, losing to Denmark’s Rasmus Espersen and Amalie Cecilie Kudsk.
After taking the opening game 21-18, the Malaysians lost momentum in the second (12-21) before falling in a dramatic decider 23-25. Despite saving multiple match points and earning one of their own, they were unable to close out the contest.
This marks the second consecutive year the pair have exited in the first round at the All England.
Watch highlights of Chen/Toh vs Espersen/Kudsk below:
Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping Survive Scare
China’s top-seeded mixed doubles pair Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping needed 81 minutes to edge past Terry Hee Yong Kai and Gloria Widjaja 18-21, 21-18, 21-19.
The cross-national Singapore–Indonesia duo pushed the world No. 1 pair to the limit before falling short in the closing stages.
Other Key Results
- Men’s Doubles: Lee Jhe-Huei / Yang Po-Hsuan defeated Leo Carnando / Bagas Maulana 21-13, 21-19.
- Women’s Singles: An Se Young advanced comfortably with a 21-8, 21-6 win.
- Chen Yufei progressed with a straight-games victory over Malvika Bansod.
Early Drama Sets the Tone in Birmingham
The All England continues to prove why it remains one of the crown jewels of international badminton. With several high-profile exits already reshaping the draw, the race for titles in Birmingham is wide open.
Stay with us for continued coverage and in-depth badminton analysis from the All England Championships.
