Kunlavut Vitidsarn becomes new men's singles World No. 1 in BWF rankings

Shi Yuqi dropped to second place after 52 weeks at the top with Kunlavut Vitidsarn replacing him.

Born in 2001, Kunlavut Vitidsarn has emerged as one of the most successful Thai badminton players in men’s singles history. He made headlines early by winning the BWF World Junior Championships three times in a row in 2017, 2018, and 2019. With this, he became only the second male player ever to do so.

Since moving to the senior level, he has climbed the ranks quickly. In 2022, Kunlavut reached the final of the BWF World Championships in Tokyo, finishing as runner-up to Viktor Axelsen. A year later, he returned stronger and became the 2023 World Champion, defeating Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in three games in Copenhagen. This made him the first Thai male singles player to win the prestigious title.

Kunlavut also won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, again facing Axelsen in the final. His other major international medal came at the 2025 Asian Championships, where he clinched the gold after Lu Guangzu retired mid-match in the final.

On the BWF World Tour, Kunlavut has collected several titles. He won the 2022 German Open, 2023 India Open (Super 750), 2023 Thailand Open, 2024 Korea Masters, 2025 Indonesia Masters, 2025 Thailand Open, and 2025 Singapore Open (Super 750). Notably, he beat top players like Viktor Axelsen, Jonatan Christie, and Anders Antonsen in these finals.

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Kunlavut’s recent Singapore Open title came without dropping a single set the whole tournament. He has also finished runner-up at the 2020 Spain Masters, 2021 Swiss Open, 2021 World Tour Finals, 2023 U.S. Open, and 2024 French Open, regularly reaching the latter stages of big events.

Still in his early 20s, Kunlavut has already achieved what most players dream of — World Champion, Olympic silver medallist, and continental champion. With seven senior BWF World Tour titles and five runner-up finishes, Kunlavut’s consistent performance in high-level events has made him a regular name in the top 5 of the world rankings.

His most recent triumph came at the Singapore Open, where he defeated Lu Guangzu, securing his ascent to the number one spot in the world rankings. Kunlavut Vitidsarn now boasts an impressive 97,179 points this year, surpassing Shi Yuqi, who has 95,117 points.

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