Vantaa, Finland: Malaysia’s Aaron Tai will continue his run of new men’s doubles partnerships when he teams up with Yap Roy King at the 2026 Arctic Open, giving the young player another opportunity to show his adaptability on the BWF World Tour.

The CLASH OF CLANS Arctic Open 2026 will be held from October 6 to 11 at the Vantaan Energia Areena in Vantaa, Finland, with total prize money of US$500,000.

  • Tournament: CLASH OF CLANS Arctic Open 2026
  • Category: BWF World Tour Super 500
  • Dates: October 6-11, 2026
  • Venue: Vantaan Energia Areena, Vantaa, Finland
  • Prize money: US$500,000

Aaron Tai Gets Another New Partner

National men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi has been encouraged by what he has seen from the 18-year-old since separating him from long-time partner Khang Khai Xing and testing him with more experienced players.

Aaron first partnered Aaron Chia and made an immediate impact by reaching the Taiwan Open final.

He was then paired with Soh Wooi Yik at the China Masters, gaining further experience alongside one of Malaysia’s established senior doubles players.

His next assignment will come with Yap Roy King in Finland.

Herry Says Aaron Tai Has Proved He Can Adapt

Herry said he had already noticed Aaron’s potential during training, but tournament results with different partners provided stronger evidence that the experiment could work.

“I had already seen what he could do in training, but once we paired him with other players and gave him opportunities in competition, people could see the results for themselves,” Herry said.

The Indonesian coach had considered separating Aaron Tai and Khai Xing earlier in the year, even though the young pair had spent several years together and were initially reluctant to split.

Aaron Tai and Khai Xing won the World Junior Championships together in 2024, but Herry believes differences in their playing speed made it worthwhile to explore new combinations.

Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Face Malaysian Pair in First Round

With several Malaysian men’s doubles combinations withdrawing from the Arctic Open, Aaron and Yap will be one of the national pairs attracting attention in Vantaa.

Their opening match will be an all-Malaysian contest against experienced independent pair Tan Wee Kiong and Nur Azriyn Ayub.

  • Aaron Tai/Yap Roy King (Malaysia) vs Tan Wee Kiong/Nur Azriyn Ayub (Malaysia)

The match should provide an immediate test of how quickly Aaron and Yap can establish their rotation, communication and attacking rhythm as a new partnership.

Khang Khai Xing Misses European Events

Khang Khai Xing, meanwhile, will not compete on the European leg alongside Wan Arif Wan Junaidi because the pair do not have enough ranking points to gain entry into the tournaments.

Herry said Khai Xing still has areas to improve before being pushed into higher-level international competition.

“My message to Khai Xing is to be patient and continue improving his speed and power. After that, we will look for the right partner for him,” Herry said.

For now, the coach made clear that a reunion with Aaron is not part of the immediate plan.

Malaysia Continues Searching for Best Men’s Doubles Combinations

The different partnerships involving Aaron reflect Malaysia’s broader effort to evaluate its men’s doubles depth.

Rather than immediately placing young players into permanent combinations, the coaching team has been using selected tournaments to see how they respond alongside partners with different styles and levels of experience.

Aaron’s run with Aaron Chia, Soh Wooi Yik and now Yap Roy King gives coaches a chance to assess his movement, speed, decision-making and ability to adjust within different tactical systems.

The Arctic Open will provide the next piece of that evaluation, with Aaron and Yap beginning against familiar Malaysian opposition in Vantaa.