Changzhou: Chou Tien Chen produced another remarkable chapter in his long badminton career by defeating France’s Toma Junior Popov to win the 2026 China Open men’s singles title.
The 36-year-old representative of Chinese Taipei survived a dramatic change in momentum to secure a 21-15, 7-21, 21-13 victory in the final of the BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament.
At 36 years and 199 days, Chou became the oldest player to win a Super 1000 title. It was also his first championship of the season and his first triumph at this level since capturing the Indonesia Open in 2019.
Watch highliths of Chou Tien Chen vs. Toma Junior Popov in the 2026 china open final:
Elsewhere on finals day, Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri successfully defended the men’s doubles title. Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi won the women’s singles crown, while China celebrated victories in women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
Chou Tien Chen Defeats Toma Junior Popov in Three Games
Chou entered the final carrying considerable momentum after defeating world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi and compatriot Lin Chun-Yi during the closing stages of the tournament.
He made the stronger start against Popov, controlling the rallies with patient defense, accurate placement and timely changes of pace.
The world No. 6 pulled away during the second half of the opening game and completed it 21-15.
Popov responded emphatically after the change of ends. The French player increased his attacking intensity and prevented Chou from settling into the longer rallies that had worked so well in the first game.
Chou struggled to contain Popov’s pace and conceded the second game 7-21, sending the championship match into a decider.
The Taiwanese veteran refused to allow the one-sided game to affect his concentration. He reset quickly, regained control of the shuttle and began forcing Popov into more difficult positions.
Chou established a clear advantage in the deciding game and stayed composed as the finish approached. He eventually closed it out 21-13 to complete the historic victory.
- Category: Men’s singles
- Champion: Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei
- Runner-up: Toma Junior Popov of France
- Final score: 21-15, 7-21, 21-13
- Achievement: Oldest BWF World Tour Super 1000 champion
Chou Becomes Oldest Super 1000 Champion
Chou was 36 years and 199 days old when he lifted the China Open trophy, extending a record for longevity that he had already strengthened by reaching the final one day earlier.
His victory offered another example of how experience, preparation and physical discipline can extend a player’s career at the highest level of professional badminton.
Chou has competed against several generations of leading men’s singles players, yet he remains capable of surviving long matches and defeating opponents near the top of the world rankings.
The China Open was his second Super 1000 championship following his Indonesia Open success in 2019.
He also became only the second men’s singles player representing Chinese Taipei to win the China Open after Fung Permadi’s victory in 1996. As Fung was born in Indonesia before representing Chinese Taipei, Chou became the first Taiwan-born player to capture the tournament’s men’s singles crown.
Chou Admits China Open Victory Was Unexpected
Chou admitted after the match that he had not expected to reach the final, much less leave Changzhou as champion.
“It is unbelievable because I never thought I would reach the final, let alone become the champion,” Chou said.
“I am really grateful and give all the glory to God. At my age, just being able to stay on court and compete is already very difficult.”
He also thanked the support team responsible for helping him remain competitive, including his physiotherapist, Victoria Kao, along with his physical conditioning and nutrition specialists.
Chou said the team had carefully reviewed his opening-round defeat at the Japan Open and looked for areas that could be improved before the China Open began.
That response produced an immediate turnaround, transforming an early exit in Japan into one of the most important titles of his career only one week later.
Consistency and Small Details Keep Chou Competitive
Chou believes his longevity is based on daily discipline rather than one particular training method.
He emphasized the importance of continuing to work after defeats, maintaining a positive approach and paying attention to small details that can improve his performance.
“It is never easy,” Chou said. “Even after a defeat, you have to get back to training the next day. Keeping a positive mindset is really important.”
That mentality was visible throughout his China Open campaign. Chou defeated Canada’s Brian Yang and Japan’s Kodai Naraoka before facing much more difficult opposition in the quarterfinals.
He then ended a nine-match losing streak against Shi Yu Qi with a 21-14, 12-21, 21-15 victory and followed it by beating Lin Chun-Yi 21-18, 21-17 in an all-Taiwan semifinal.
Chou Tien Chen’s Road to the China Open Title
- Earlier rounds: Defeated Brian Yang of Canada and Kodai Naraoka of Japan
- Quarterfinal: Defeated Shi Yu Qi of China 21-14, 12-21, 21-15
- Semifinal: Defeated Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei 21-18, 21-17
- Final: Defeated Toma Junior Popov of France 21-15, 7-21, 21-13
Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Shohibul Fikri Retain Men’s Doubles Title
Indonesia’s second seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri completed a remarkable two-week run by successfully defending their China Open men’s doubles championship.
The Indonesian world No. 2 pair came from behind to defeat South Korea’s top seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae 16-21, 21-19, 21-19.
Kim and Seo controlled the opening game, using their speed and attacking pressure to win it 21-16.
Fajar and Fikri responded in the second game by improving their service situations and maintaining a flatter attacking formation. They stayed composed during a tense finish to take the game 21-19.
The deciding game was equally close. Neither partnership was able to establish a comfortable advantage, but the Indonesians were again more effective during the final rallies and completed another 21-19 win.
- Category: Men’s doubles
- Champions: Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri of Indonesia
- Runners-up: Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae of South Korea
- Seeds: Fajar-Fikri were second seeds; Kim-Seo were top seeds
- Final score: 16-21, 21-19, 21-19
Fajar-Fikri Complete Japan Open and China Open Double
Fajar and Fikri have now defeated Kim and Seo in consecutive finals.
They beat the Korean world No. 1 pair 21-19, 21-17 to win the Japan Open one week earlier before repeating the achievement in Changzhou.
The two titles underline the Indonesians’ return to top form after previously going a year without winning a championship.
Their route through the China Open was not straightforward. In the semifinals, Fajar and Fikri needed 66 minutes to defeat China’s fourth seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang 21-19, 14-21, 21-19.
That result extended their head-to-head advantage over Liang and Wang to five victories from six meetings.
The defending champions then survived another three-game battle in the final, completing an impressive Japan-China double at two of the most prestigious tournaments on the BWF World Tour.
Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae Fall Short Again
Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae entered the final looking to end a three-month title drought and win the China Open together for the first time.
The Koreans made an excellent start, but they were unable to maintain control once Fajar and Fikri improved their play around the service line.
It was another frustrating result for the world No. 1 pair after also finishing behind the Indonesians at the Japan Open.
Kim and Seo remain one of the strongest men’s doubles teams in badminton, but recent results show that their leading rivals are increasingly capable of disrupting their rhythm during the important closing rallies.
Akane Yamaguchi Defeats Chen Yu Fei for Women’s Singles Crown
Japan’s third seed Akane Yamaguchi won the women’s singles championship by defeating China’s fourth seed Chen Yu Fei 21-18, 21-16.
Yamaguchi maintained a high tempo and used her movement to repeatedly extend rallies against the home player.
Chen remained competitive throughout the opening game, but Yamaguchi handled the decisive points more effectively to take it 21-18.
The Japanese former world champion continued to control the exchanges in the second game and completed the straight-game victory 21-16.
- Category: Women’s singles
- Champion: Akane Yamaguchi of Japan
- Runner-up: Chen Yu Fei of China
- Seeds: Yamaguchi was seeded third; Chen was seeded fourth
- Final score: 21-18, 21-16
Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning Successfully Defend Women’s Doubles Title
China’s top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning retained the women’s doubles title with a straight-game victory over Japan’s fourth seeds Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto.
Liu and Tan controlled the opening game 21-14 before facing stronger resistance from the Japanese pair in the second.
Fukushima and Matsumoto stayed close late in the game, but the Chinese defending champions remained calm and completed the match 21-19.
- Category: Women’s doubles
- Champions: Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning of China
- Runners-up: Yuki Fukushima/Mayu Matsumoto of Japan
- Seeds: Liu-Tan were top seeds; Fukushima-Matsumoto were fourth seeds
- Final score: 21-14, 21-19
The victory gave Liu and Tan their third Super 1000 title from four appearances at that level during the season, further strengthening their status among the leading women’s doubles pairs in international badminton.
Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui Win All-Chinese Mixed Doubles Final
China’s fifth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui completed finals day by defeating top seeds and defending champions Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping.
The all-Chinese mixed doubles final lasted 87 minutes and produced three closely contested games.
Guo and Chen edged an extended opening game 25-23 before Feng and Huang responded by taking the second 22-20.
The fifth seeds regrouped in the decider, established a stronger attacking rhythm and pulled away to win 21-15.
- Category: Mixed doubles
- Champions: Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui of China
- Runners-up: Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping of China
- Seeds: Guo-Chen were fifth seeds; Feng-Huang were top seeds
- Final score: 25-23, 20-22, 21-15
- Match duration: 87 minutes
Guo-Chen End Seven-Match Losing Streak
The result carried additional significance for Guo and Chen because it ended a seven-match losing streak against Feng and Huang.
The younger Chinese pair entered the tournament without their best form but improved as the week progressed.
They survived several difficult matches before delivering one of their strongest performances in the final, particularly during the deciding game.
The championship was their second Super 1000 title together following their triumph at the previous year’s All England Open.
2026 China Open Badminton Champions
- Men’s singles: Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei
- Women’s singles: Akane Yamaguchi of Japan
- Men’s doubles: Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri of Indonesia
- Women’s doubles: Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning of China
- Mixed doubles: Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui of China
Historic China Open Ends With Five Memorable Finals
Chou Tien Chen’s record-breaking victory was the leading badminton news story from the final day in Changzhou.
At 36, Chou showed that experience and disciplined preparation can still overcome younger opponents at the highest level of the BWF World Tour.
Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri also delivered a major statement by defeating the world No. 1 Korean pair for a second consecutive week and successfully defending their China Open title.
Akane Yamaguchi prevented China from winning the women’s singles crown, but the host nation still finished with two championships through Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning and Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui.
The tournament ultimately produced champions from Chinese Taipei, Japan, Indonesia and China, with Chou’s historic achievement providing the defining moment of the 2026 China Open.
