Popov Shocks Badminton World with Perfect Finals Run

Hangzhou, Dec 22 — French badminton reached a historic milestone on Sunday as Christo Popov captured the men’s singles crown at the 2025 World Tour Finals Badminton Championship, defeating China’s world No.1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi in straight games.

World No.8 Popov prevailed 21–19, 21–9 in the final, ending Shi’s bid for a successful home title defence and becoming the first French player to win the World Tour Finals.

First French Champion at the Elite Level

Popov’s victory marked France’s first-ever title at badminton’s highest elite level. The achievement surpassed earlier national breakthroughs, including Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue’s Indonesia Open Super 1000 mixed doubles triumph and Alex Lanier’s Super 750 victory in 2024.

For the 23-year-old, the title represented the biggest success of his career. Prior to this event, his best World Tour result had come at Super 300 level.

Perfect Record Against the World’s Best

Competing in the Finals for the first time, Popov completed the tournament with a perfect five-match winning record. His path to the title included victories over the world’s top three players — Shi Yuqi, Thailand’s former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn (world No.2), and Denmark’s Anders Antonsen (world No.3).

He also defeated Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie (world No.5) and Japan’s defensive specialist Kodai Naraoka, underlining the quality of his championship run.

Shi Hampered by Foot Problems

The final opened with a tightly contested first game, but Shi’s level dipped after Popov took the opener. In the second game, Popov gradually pulled away after the mid-game interval as Shi struggled to keep pace.

Shi later revealed that blisters on his foot, which developed during the group stage, affected his movement. Despite finishing runner-up, he reflected positively on his 2025 season and said he would aim to return stronger in 2026.