🏸The Drop
Winning your home tournament is special. Coming back a year after losing the final makes it sweeter still.
Christo Popov got his moment at the French Open, overcoming Indonesia’s Zaki Ubaidillah in three games. Malaysia supplied four pairs across the doubles finals, while PV Sindhu gave An Se Young something to think about before the Korean found her answer.
And beyond the trophies? A few names made a convincing case for more of our attention.
💥Smash Headlines
Popov gets his home ending. Christo beat Ubaidillah 21–11, 14–21, 21–13, converting last year’s final disappointment into a French Open title. The Indonesian forced a decider, but couldn’t finish the upset.
Malaysia’s wait ends—with a Malaysian showdown. Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun beat Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin in three games to claim the country’s first French Open men’s doubles crown since 2004.
Sindhu lands the first blow. An takes the trophy. The Korean recovered 16–21, 21–11, 21–12. An encouraging opening for Sindhu; a decisive response from the champion.
Pearly and Thinaah’s flying start isn’t enough. Yuki Fukushima/Mayu Matsumoto overturned a 10–21 opening game to win 21–17, 21–16. Malaysia’s women had the advantage, but Japan’s pair took the title.
Feng and Huang shut the door. China’s Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping defeated Hoo Pang Ron/Lai Pei Jing 21–10, 21–13, ending the Malaysian challengers’ run in straight games.
Christo Popov
🔥 What everyone is talking about
Christo’s second chance
A year ago, Popov left his home final beaten. This time, he gave the crowd the finish they had come for.
The route mattered. He dispatched Hu Zhe An in straight games in the semi-final, then had to reset after Ubaidillah levelled Sunday’s match. A comfortable opening game had not bought him a comfortable afternoon. Fan Zone
That makes this more satisfying than a simple “home favourite wins” story. Popov returned to the same occasion, faced another difficult moment and finished it.
Malaysia’s strength goes beyond one pair
An all-Malaysian men’s doubles final was the standout, but the broader picture deserves attention: representation in every doubles final.
Pearly/Thinaah and Hoo/Lai couldn’t turn their appearances into titles, yet Malaysia had multiple chances to win throughout Sunday.
Man and Tee supplied the trophy. Their victory also came shortly after reuniting following months apart, according to The Star. That makes the next few tournaments interesting: can they build a sustained run from this result?
Sindhu’s week deserves more than a final score
Before facing An, Sindhu had already survived a three-game semi-final against Hina Akechi. Another Super 750 final is meaningful evidence of her competitiveness, even with the disappointment of Sunday’s defeat.
Taking the first game against An added encouragement. The next two exposed the remaining challenge: maintaining that level long enough to finish the match. An conceded just 23 points across those games.
There is room for both conclusions. Sindhu had a strong tournament. An still proved too difficult to beat.
👀 Players to watch
Hina Akechi 🇯🇵
A semi-final appearance, two top-10 opponents beaten during the week and a deciding game forced against Sindhu. Akechi’s French Open deserves attention beyond the names in Sunday’s final. The next test is whether she can keep producing these results once opponents are expecting them.
Zaki Ubaidillah 🇮🇩
The 19-year-old earns another mention because of how he reached the final: beating Alex Lanier 21–16, 16–21, 21–17 in front of the French crowd. Following that with a game taken from Popov makes this a substantial week against strong opposition. He leaves without the title, but with plenty of reason for Indonesia to be excited.
🌏 On the tour
The European swing moves to Saarbrücken for the HYLO Open, 27 October–1 November.
The Super 500 organiser says French Open finalists competing there will begin on Wednesday, giving them a little extra recovery time. Quarter-finals are scheduled for Friday, semi-finals Saturday and finals Sunday.
🎙️ Off court
“Everything was scripted. Everything was already like the path was for me.”
Christo Popov, speaking to Badminton Europe after winning his home title.
“I’m happy, of course, but I don’t want to celebrate too soon—there’s still tomorrow, and I want to win the title.”
Zaki Ubaidillah, after beating Lanier in Saturday’s semi-final, as published in the organiser’s English-language report. An ambitious response to a breakthrough result.
🙌 Final point
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