Tokyo, Japan – Chinese badminton aces Shi Yuqi and Chen Yufei are set to spearhead China’s all-star squad at the 2025 Japan Open, a Super 750 BWF tournament kicking off July 15 in Tokyo. Following a month-long break from the tour, Team China returns at full strength, using this prestigious event as a key warm-up ahead of the World Championships in Paris this August.
After wrapping up the Southeast Asian leg of the tour at the Indonesia Open in early June, the Chinese team took a scheduled break and skipped the lower-tier North American events. Now, all eyes are on the Japan Open and the upcoming China Open Super 1000 in Changzhou, set for July 22, as crucial warm-ups before the sport’s most prestigious event next month.
🏸 Men’s Singles: Shuttlers Face Early Fire
Shi Yuqi, China’s top-ranked men’s singles player, leads a five-man contingent including Lu Guangzu, Weng Hongyang, Lei Lanxi, and newcomer Wang Zhengxing. Despite slipping to world No. 3, Shi Yuqi is determined to rediscover his winning form.
Shi is set to face French star Toma Junior Popov in the opening round, while Weng Hongyang will battle Thai sensation and current World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn. Meanwhile, Li Shifeng and Lu Guangzu have drawn tough early matches against Lee Cheuk Yiu and Lin Chun-Yi respectively. Lei Lanxi, still searching for his first international win this season, faces the formidable Anders Antonsen, the tournament’s second seed.
🏸 Women’s Singles: All Eyes on Chen Yufei vs. An Se Young
China is sending four strong contenders in women’s singles—Chen Yufei, Wang Zhiyi, Han Yue, and Gao Fangjie. However, fans will be disappointed that Olympic champion Chen Yufei and world No. 1 An Se Young are placed in the same half of the draw, potentially clashing in the quarterfinals.
Chen, seeded fifth, faces world No. 9 Ratchanok Intanon in a challenging opening round, while An Se Young, a clear title favorite, awaits at the later stages.
🏸 Doubles: Pressure to Perform Ahead of Paris
In men’s doubles, Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang will look to reestablish their reputation following a mixed 2024 season. China will enter four pairs in men’s and three in women’s doubles. Unfortunately, all three women’s pairs have been drawn in the top half, meaning only one can make it to the final.
🏸 Mixed Doubles:
Perhaps the most exciting development is in the mixed doubles category. After experimenting with different pairings earlier in the season, China has decided to reunite two of their most promising combinations:
The reshuffled pairings—Feng/Wei and Jiang/Huang—had shown underwhelming results in recent outings, including losses to both domestic and international opponents. Frequent partner switching led to a dilution of ranking points, making their original reunions a strategic reset ahead of the World Championships and other major tournaments.
With the Japan Open 2025 serving as a high-stakes testing ground, all eyes will be on Team China’s ability to shake off the rust and prove their form before Paris. The tournament kicks off July 15 and will be followed closely by the China Open Super 1000—two crucial events that could shape the road to badminton supremacy in August.
Stay tuned for more badminton news and full tournament results right here on BadmintonPlanet.com.
