BANGKOK: Malaysia’s hopes of celebrating a women’s singles champion at the 2026 Thailand Masters were dashed after Goh Jin Wei was forced to retire due to injury in the final, handing the title to India’s Devika Sihag on Sunday.
The championship match at Nimibutr Stadium came to an abrupt and emotional end when Jin Wei, visibly struggling physically, withdrew early in the second game while trailing 3–6.
Devika had earlier dominated the opening game, racing to a 21–8 win in just 11 minutes, applying relentless pressure that left little room for Jin Wei to settle into rhythm.
Watch highlights from the final below:
Although Jin Wei attempted to regroup in the second game, her movement was clearly restricted before she signalled her inability to continue, bringing the contest to an unfortunate conclusion.
Despite the heartbreaking finish, the tournament marked one of the strongest performances by the Penang-born shuttler in the past two years. Prior to the final, all of Jin Wei’s matches — from the opening round through to the semi-finals — were gruelling three-game battles, highlighting both her resilience and physical commitment.
Her run to the final also saw her create history as the first Malaysian women’s singles player to reach the final of a BWF World Tour Super 300 event since the Thailand Masters was introduced in 2016.
Devika Sihag’s title run was equally impressive. The Indian shuttler eliminated a series of seeded opponents, including Tung Ciou-Tong of Taiwan, top seed Supanida Katethong of Thailand, and fifth seed Huang Yu-Hsun of Taiwan, before benefitting from Jin Wei’s retirement in the final.
Jin Wei’s coach, Seto Danu Kusuma, acknowledged that the accumulation of long three-set matches took a toll on his player’s condition.
“I am very satisfied with her overall performance throughout this tournament. Hopefully, she can recover fully before competing at the Singapore Challenge later this month,” he said.
The Thailand Masters runner-up finish represents Jin Wei’s fourth appearance as a finalist in an international open tournament, following earlier second-place finishes at the Indonesia Masters (2016), Taiwan Open (2017), and Vietnam Open (2022).
Although the title slipped away, Jin Wei’s performance in Bangkok stands as a major milestone and a strong signal of her return to the elite level of women’s singles badminton.
Thailand Masters 2026 – Finals Results
| Event | Champion | Runner-Up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s Singles | Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah (INA) | Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul (THA) | 21-19, 20-22, 21-19 |
| Women’s Singles | Devika Sihag (IND) | Goh Jin Wei (MAS) | 21-8, Ret. |
| Men’s Doubles | Leo Rolly Carnando / Bagas Maulana (INA) | Raymond Indra / Nikolaus Joaquin (INA) | 21-10, 21-17 |
| Women’s Doubles | Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi / Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (INA) | Bao Li Jing / Li Yi Jing (CHN) | 15-21, 21-15, 21-18 |
| Mixed Doubles | Adnan Maulana / Indah Cahya Sari Jamil (INA) | Bobby Setiabudi / Melati Daeva Oktavianti (INA) | 18-21, 21-19, 21-17 |
The 2026 Thailand Masters concluded with Indonesia dominating the doubles disciplines, while Devika Sihag and Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah emerged as new singles champions, marking a tournament filled with breakthroughs and dramatic moments.
