Vantaa, Finland: Malaysia’s experimental men’s doubles combination Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King completed a remarkable week at the 2026 Arctic Open by defeating Chinese Taipei’s Lai Po Yu and Tsai Fu Cheng 21-19, 21-19 in the final.
The Malaysians captured the BWF World Tour Super 500 title without dropping a single game throughout the tournament, an impressive achievement for a partnership that was only recently put together by Malaysia’s national coaching team.
For 25-year-old Yap and 19-year-old Aaron, who turns 20 on October 27, the victory represents their first title together.
Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Beat Lai Po Yu-Tsai Fu Cheng in Final
Aaron and Yap started aggressively and raced to a 4-0 lead, but world No. 60 Lai and Tsai quickly responded.
With Malaysia ahead 6-3, the Chinese Taipei pair won four consecutive points to move in front 7-6. The opening game remained tight until 10-10, when Aaron-Yap produced a four-point burst to regain control.
Lai-Tsai refused to go away and eventually moved ahead 19-18 late in the game. Facing pressure, the Malaysians responded with three straight points to steal the opener 21-19.
The second game followed a similar pattern. Aaron and Yap established an early 6-2 advantage before their opponents fought back and tied the score at 13-13.
Neither pair could create much separation from that point, but Aaron-Yap were again more composed in the closing exchanges and secured another 21-19 victory to seal the championship.
- Champions: Aaron Tai/Yap Roy King of Malaysia
- Runners-up: Lai Po Yu/Tsai Fu Cheng of Chinese Taipei
- Score: 21-19, 21-19
- Event: 2026 Arctic Open men’s doubles final
Watch Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Arctic Open Final Highlights
Source: BWF
Malaysian Pair Win Title Without Dropping a Game
Aaron and Yap’s consistency throughout the week made their title run even more notable. They won every match in straight games from the opening round through the final.
- First round: beat Nur Azriyn Ayub/Tan Wee Kiong (Malaysia) 21-12, 21-13
- Round of 16: beat Lee Fang Chih/Lee Fang Jen (Chinese Taipei) 21-19, 21-11
- Quarterfinal: beat Peeratchai Sukphun/Pakkapon TeeraratSakul (Thailand) 21-13, 21-19
- Semifinal: beat Christian Faust Kjaer/Rasmus Kjaer (Denmark) 21-14, 21-16
- Final: beat Lai Po Yu/Tsai Fu Cheng (Chinese Taipei) 21-19, 21-19
The victory also makes Aaron-Yap the second Malaysian men’s doubles pair to win the Arctic Open since the COVID-19 pandemic, following Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani’s triumph in 2024.
Aaron Tai Continues to Impress With Different Partners
The title adds another encouraging result to Aaron’s breakthrough season.
Earlier this year, he partnered Aaron Chia and reached the Taiwan Open final. He later teamed up with Soh Wooi Yik at the China Masters, where the temporary combination advanced to the quarterfinals.
His partnership with Yap has now produced an even bigger result — a Super 500 championship in their first stretch of tournaments together.
The performances strengthen the case for Malaysia’s decision to test Aaron alongside different senior players after separating him from long-time junior partner Khang Khai Xing.
Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Dedicate Arctic Open Title to Herry Iman Pierngadi
After winning the title, Aaron and Yap dedicated their victory to Malaysia’s national men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi.
Herry did not travel with the team to Vantaa, but Yap later shared a photo showing the newly crowned champions speaking with their coach through a video call.
His message to Herry was simple:
“This is for U.”
Herry had backed the Aaron-Yap combination roughly a month earlier as part of his wider restructuring of Malaysia’s men’s doubles program.
The Arctic Open result gives the experiment an immediate breakthrough at Super 500 level.
Third World Tour Title for Yap Roy King
For Yap, the victory is the third BWF World Tour title of his career with three different partners.
He won the Macau Open last year alongside long-time partner Junaidi Arif before capturing the Korea Masters in August with Tee Kai Wun.
Now, alongside Aaron, he has added the Arctic Open to that list.
Aaron Tai’s Development Continues After Junior Success
Aaron previously enjoyed considerable junior success with Khang Khai Xing, including winning the World Junior Championships in 2024.
The pair also collected three titles in 2025 at the Syed Modi International, Guwahati Masters and Malaysia Super 100.
Malaysia’s coaching staff later decided to separate them and explore different combinations, with Herry identifying differences in speed and development between the two young players.
Aaron’s subsequent results with Aaron Chia, Soh Wooi Yik and now Yap Roy King have shown his ability to adapt quickly to different partners.
US$39,500 Prize for Arctic Open Champions
Aaron and Yap earned US$39,500 in prize money for winning the men’s doubles championship, approximately RM161,450.
Runners-up Lai Po Yu and Tsai Fu Cheng received US$19,000.
The victory also makes Aaron-Yap the first men’s doubles pair from Malaysia’s national setup to win a Super 500 title this year.
Denmark Open, French Open and Hylo Open Next
The newly crowned champions will have little time to celebrate, with a demanding European schedule ahead.
Aaron and Yap are set to compete at the Super 750 Denmark Open in Odense, followed by another Super 750 tournament at the French Open from October 20-25.
They are then scheduled to continue their European campaign at the Hylo Open from October 27 to November 1.
After going through the Arctic Open without dropping a game, Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King will head into those tournaments with significantly greater confidence — and considerably more attention on Malaysia’s newest men’s doubles combination.
