BWF World Championships: Full list of title winners

By Anmol Kakkar

Anmol is a freelance contributor at Khel Now and a passionate sports enthusiast who follows and covers a wide range of Olympic sports.

Published at :September 1, 2025 at 3:27 PM

Modified at :September 1, 2025 at 5:31 PM

Lin Dan is the most successful player in the history of BWF World Championships.

BWF World Championships is one of the prestigious badminton tournaments. The inaugural edition of the tournament was held in Denmark in 1977, with the host winning three titles (MS, WS, XD) while Indonesia (MD) and Japan (WD) won one title each.

The championship was earlier held triennially till 1983 and then biennially till 2005. Since 2005 the competition is conducted annually (leaving the Olympic year in 2021).

Lin Dan is the most successful player in the history of the BWF World Championships having won five titles (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013). In the women’s singles section, Carolina Marin and Akane Yamaguchi are the most successful players having won three titles each.

Also Read: Indian shuttlers who medalled in BWF World Championships

In doubles categories, six different players have won four titles each, albeit with multiple partners.

Only two women’s singles players have won the five world championships medals. They are PV Sindhu of India and Zhang Ning of China. The former became the first Indian to win a BWF World Championships title in 2019.

So far 13 countries have won the gold medals at the BWF World Championships. China stand on the top with highest number of gold medals (72).

BWF World Championships title winners

Let us look at the title winners of the BWF World Championships so far

Men’s singles

1977 – Flemming Delfs (Denmark)
1980 – Rudy Hartono (Indonesia)
1983 – Icuk Sugiarto (Indonesia)
1985 – Han Jian (China)
1987 – Yang Yang (China)
1989 – Yang Yang (China)
1991 – Zhao Jianhua (China)
1993 – Joko Suprianto (Indonesia)
1995 – Hariyano Arbi (Indonesia)
1997 – Peter Rasmussen (Denmark)
1999 – Sun Jun (China)
2001 – Hendrawan (Indonesia)
2003 – Xia Xuanze (China)
2005 – Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia)
2006 – Lin Dan (China)
2007 – Lin Dan (China)
2009 – Lin Dan (China)
2010 – Chen Jin (China)
2011 – Lin Dan (China)
2013 – Lin Dan (China)
2014 – Chen Long (China)
2015 – Chen Long (China)
2017 – Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
2018 – Kento Momota (Japan)
2019 – Kento Momota (Japan)
2021 – Loh Kean Yew (Singapore)
2022 – Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
2023 – Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand)
2025- Shi Yuqi (China)

Women’s singles

1977 – Lene Koppen (Denmark)
1980 – Verawaty Wiharjo (Indonesia)
1983 – Li Lingwei (China)
1985 – Han Aping (China)
1987 – Han Aping (China)
1989 – Li Lingwei (China)
1991 – Tang Jiuhong (China)
1993 – Susi Susanti (Indonsia)
1995 – Ye Zhaoying (China)
1997 – Ye Zhaoying (China)
1999 – Camila Martin (Denmark)
2001 – Gong Ruiana (China)
2003 – Zhang Ning (China)
2005 – Xie Xingfan (China)
2006 – Xie Xingfan (China)
2007 – Zhu Lin (China)
2009 – Lu Lan (China)
2010 – Wang Lin (China)
2011 – Wang Yihan (China)
2013 – Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand)
2014 – Carolina Marin (Spain)
2015 – Carolina Marin (Spain)
2017 – Nozomi Okuhara (Japan)
2018 – Carolina Marin (Spain)
2019 – PV Sindhu (India)
2021 – Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
2022 – Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
2023 – An Se Young (Korea)
2025- Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)

Also Read: Throwback to PV Sindhu’s historic run at 2019 BWF World Championships

Men’s doubles

1977 – Tjun Tjun/Johan Wahjudi
1980 – Ade Chandra/Christian Hadinata
1983 – Steen Fladberg/Jesper Helledie
1985 – Park Joo-bong/Kim Moon-soo
1987 – Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi
1989 – Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi
1991 – Park Joo-bong/Kim Moon-soo
1993 – Ricky Subagja/Rudy Gunawan
1995 – Rexy Mainaky/Ricky Subagja
1997 – Candra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto
1999 – Ha Tae-kwon/Kim Dong-moon
2001 – Halim Haryanto/Tony Gunawan
2003 – Lars Paaske/Jonas Rasmussen
2005 – Howard Bach/Tony Gunawan
2006 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng
2007 – Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan
2009 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng
2010 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng
2011 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng
2013 – Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan
2014 – Ko Sung-hyun/Shin Baek-cheol
2015 – Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan
2017 – Liu Cheng/Zhang Nan
2018 – Li Junhui/Liu Yuchen
2019 – Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan
2021 – Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi
2022 – Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik
2023 – Kang Min Hyuk/SEO Seung Jae (Korea)
2025- Kim Won-ho / Seo Seung-jae (South Korea)

Women’s doubles

1977 – Etsuko Toganoo/Emiko Ueno
1980 – Nora Perry/Jane Webster
1983 – Lin Ying/Wu Dixi
1985 – Han Aiping/Li Lingwei
1987 – Lin Ying/Guan Weizhen
1989 – Lin Ying/Guan Weizhen
1991 – Guan Weizhen/Nong Qunhua
1993 – Nong Qunhua/Zhou Lei
1995 – Gil Young-ah/Jang Hye-ock
1997 – Ge Fei/Gu Jun
1999 – Ge Fei/Gu Jun
2001 – Gao Ling/Huang Sui
2003 – Gao Ling/Huang Sui
2005 – Yang Wei/Zhang Jiewen
2006 – Gao Ling/Huang Sui
2007 – Zhang Jiewen/Yang Wei
2009 – Zhang Yawen/Zhao Tingting
2010 – Du Jing/Yu Yang
2011 – Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang
2013 – Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang
2014 – Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei
2015 – Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei
2017 – Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan
2018 – Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara
2019 – Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara
2021 – Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan
2022 – Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan
2023 – Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan (China)
2025- Liu Shengshu / Tan Ning (China)

Mixed doubles

1977 – Steen Skovgaard/Lene Køppen
1980 – Christian Hadinata/Imelda Wiguno
1983 – Thomas Kihlström/Nora Perry
1985 – Park Joo-bong/Yoo Sang-hee
1987 – Wang Pengren/Shi Fangjing
1989 – Park Joo-bong/Chung Myung-hee
1991 – Park Joo-bong/Chung Myung-hee
1993 – Thomas Lund/Catrine Bengtsson
1995 – Thomas Lund/Marlene Thomsen
1997 – Liu Yong/Ge Fei
1999 – Kim Dong-moon/Ra Kyung-min
2001 – Zhang Jun/Gao Ling
2003 – Kim Dong-moon/Ra Kyung-min
2005 – Nova Widianto/Liliyana Natsir
2006 – Nathan Robertson/Gail Emms
2007 – Nova Widianto/Liliyana Natsir
2009 – Thomas Laybourn/Kamilla Rytter Juhl
2010 – Zheng Bo/Ma Jin
2011 – Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei
2013 – Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir
2014 – Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei
2015 – Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei
2017 – Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir
2018 – Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong
2019 – Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong
2021 – Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai
2022 – Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong
2023 – SEO Seung Jae/Chae Yu Jung (Korea)
2025- Chen Tang Jie / Toh Ee Wei (Malaysia)

Who is the most successful player in men’s singles at BWF World Championships?

China’s Lin Dan is the most successful player in men’s singles with five titles (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)

Who is the most successful player in women’s singles at BWF World Championships?

Carolina Marin and Akane Yamaguchi are the most successful women’s singles players in the competition history with three gold medals each.

Who is the most successful player in BWF World Championships history?

China’s Lin Dan, Zhao Yuniei and Park Joo-bong of South Korea are the most successful players in the tournament with five titles each.

Who is the defending champion in men’s singles at BWF World Championships?

China’s Shi Yuqi is the defending champion in men’s singles. He beat the former winner Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in three games (19-21, 21-10, 21-18) to be crowned the champion of 2025 edition.

Who is the defending champion in women’s singles at BWF World Championships?

Akane Yamaguchi of Japan is the defending champion in women’s singles. She beat China’s Chen Yu Fei 21-9, 21-13 in the final to win the 2025 edition of the competition.

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Anmol Kakkar

Anmol is a sports freelancer and writer who specializes in Olympic sports. He has been associated with Khel Now since 2023. An engineer by qualification, he holds a degree in computer science. A passionate sports enthusiast, Anmol follows almost every Olympic sports. He runs a Twitter page as well called Sports Arena and is quite active on Twitter on his ID, Anmolkakkar27, to promote sports in India. His favorite sport is badminton, and his favourite sportsperson is Saina Nehwal. An ardent supporter of Delhi-based teams across all sports leagues, Anmol also closely follows and covers parasports as well.