BWF World Championships 2026 Highlights: Alex Lanier, An Se-young among five champions crowned in New Delhi

South Korea's An Se-young successfully defended her women's singles crown at the BWF World Championships 2026, defeating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi in straight games in the final.

The world No. 1 produced a composed display under pressure, winning 21-17, 21-14 to clinch the title and cap another dominant campaign on badminton's biggest stage.

An Se-young has edged Akane Yamaguchi 21-17 to take the opening game of the women's singles final. After a fiercely contested game that saw the Korean hold a narrow 18-17 lead late on, An-Se-young produced a strong finish to move one game closer to the world title.

Live score: An Se-young 21-17, 4-5 Akane Yamaguchi = Game 2 underway.

Third seeds Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee of South Korea have pulled off a stunning upset, defeating top seeds and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China 21-15, 21-15 to win the women's doubles title in Delhi. The contest lasted 51 minutes.

The Chinese pair had beaten India's Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand in the semifinal on Saturday, ending the hosts' campaign with a historic bronze medal.

Koreans take the lead, win Game 1.

Third seeds Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee of South Korea have taken the early advantage in the women's doubles final, defeating top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China 21-15 in 24 minutes to win the opening game.

Fifth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue produced a stunning comeback to defeat top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China 22-20, 19-21, 21-15 and win the mixed doubles final in Delhi.

The French duo held their nerve in a fiercely contested summit clash that lasted 78 minutes, securing a historic World Championships title after overcoming the reigning top seeds.

Gicquel and Delrue had made the early running, edging a tight opening game 22-20 after 25 minutes. Feng and Huang responded strongly in the second, fighting back to take it 21-19 and force a decider after 51 minutes of play.

The French pair, however, regained control when it mattered most. They pulled away in the decider and eventually closed out the contest 21-15 to complete a memorable victory.

The result capped a remarkable run for the fifth-seeded French combination, who had already created history by becoming the first French mixed doubles pair to reach a World Championships final.

French pair move ahead

Fifth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue have raced to an 11-5 lead in the decider, moving ahead of top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China in the mixed doubles final in Delhi.

After losing the opening game, top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China have fought back to win the second game 21-19 against fifth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in the mixed doubles final in Delhi.

The summit clash will now be decided in the decider after 51 minutes of a gruelling contest.

Good start for the French pair as they take the opening game.

Fifth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue have made a strong start to the mixed doubles final, edging top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China 22-20 in a tightly contested 25-minute opening game in Delhi.

Good start for the French pair.

Fifth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue have made a bright start in the mixed doubles final, leading top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China 11-9 at the first interval in Delhi.

There will be no Indian shuttlers in action on the final day of the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, with the focus shifting to the five summit clashes.

The finals begin with top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China taking on fifth-seeded French duo Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in the mixed doubles showdown.

The Chinese pair will start as favourites on paper, but the French combination have already produced a historic run to reach their first World Championships final. It promises to be an intriguing opening contest on the final day.

Miyazaki's ambition is to regularly reach the latter stages of major tournaments, where she can test herself against the world's leading players.

"I want to consistently produce good results, and if I reach the quarter-finals, I can face a top-ranked player in the world. I want to keep winning and make sure I get to that stage so I can compete against those players," she said. Her growing profile has also brought significant support beyond Japan, including fan meet-and-greets at HSBC BWF World Tour events across Southeast Asia.

"It's really nice to have so many people supporting me even in other countries," Miyazaki said.

Tomoka Miyazaki's World Championships campaign ended before the final stages, but the Japanese youngster leaves New Delhi with valuable experience as she continues her rise among the elite. The 20-year-old, who is ranked ninth in the world, admitted there remains room for improvement when facing the very best.

"When I'm playing against the top players, there are still many times when my game breaks down, and I want to make that part of my game much stronger," Miyazaki told PTI Videos.

Yamaguchi, who trains alongside her, believes Miyazaki's development will benefit from learning through different experiences on court.

Defending champion Akane Yamaguchi remained on course for a historic fourth women's singles world title after defeating Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-12, 21-17. The Japanese star controlled the contest to book her place in the final.

Yamaguchi's experience and consistency once again proved decisive as she continued her bid to add another world crown to her impressive collection. Her victory also meant she moved one step closer to another milestone in women's singles badminton.

France's celebrations came shortly after hosts India secured a historic women's doubles bronze through Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. The 39th-ranked Indian pair pushed world No.1 Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning all the way before eventually losing in three games.

Treesa and Gayatri had already produced an outstanding run, eliminating three seeded pairs on their way to the semifinals. Their medal also ended India's 15-year wait for a women's doubles World Championships medal, since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa achieved the feat in 2011.

Alex Lanier then ensured France's remarkable day continued as the ninth seed reached the men's singles final. Lanier overcame Canada's seventh seed Victor Lai 16-21, 21-13, 21-14 in an 85-minute semifinal.

After surrendering the opening game, the Frenchman gradually took control, finding the consistency and attacking quality needed to turn the contest around. His victory means France will have representation in two finals on the closing day, further underlining the country's growing presence on the biggest stage of badminton.

The French duo appeared in trouble after losing the opening game but responded with greater control and aggression in the second. They levelled the contest and then made a blistering start to the decider, racing to a 12-0 lead.

Although the Chinese pair tried to mount a late fightback, Gicquel and Delrue remained composed and protected their advantage to seal a famous victory. Their ability to recover after the opening-game setback proved crucial, while the dominant start to the third game effectively put them in control of a match that lasted three games.

The French contingent had plenty to celebrate during the first half of semifinal day at the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi on Saturday, with the nation securing two historic spots in today's finals.

The fifth-seeded mixed doubles pair of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue produced the biggest upset of the session, fighting back from a game down to defeat second seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin of China. Their 19-21, 21-13, 21-11 victory made them the first French mixed doubles pair to reach a World Championships final, marking a landmark moment for French badminton.