Christo Popov becomes first French player to win BWF World Tour Finals title

This was Popov’s first single title of the season.

Qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals 2025 as the only men’s singles player without a title in 2025, Christo Popov completed one of the most beautiful underdog stories by emerging as the men’s singles champion in Hangzhou, China.

Along the way, the 23-year-old French shuttler shattered records, defied rankings and stunned the badminton world with a dominant final victory over world No. 1 Shi Yuqi, winning 21–19, 21–9.

With this win, Popov became the first French player ever to win the men’s singles title, in fact any title, at the BWF World Tour Finals.

Popov’s extraordinary campaign saw him defeat every opponent ranked above him. He topped a difficult Group A, winning all three matches in a hard-fought three-game battles before finding an even higher gear in the knockout rounds, where he sealed straight-games victories.

Popov began his campaign against the world no. 3 Anders Antonsen from Denmark in a marathon opener, eventually prevailing 21–13, 12–21, 21–19.

In the second group match, the challenge was even tougher as he faced world No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand). Once again, Popov rose to the occasion, winning 21–11, 18–21, 21–10 in another three-game battle.

By the final group match, Popov had already demonstrated that he was playing for more than victory, he was playing for history. Against world No. 5 Jonatan Christie, the Frenchman earned an 18–21, 21–16, 21–13 to finish atop the group.

In the semi-final, Popov faced Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, but unlike his hard-fought wins in group-stage, this match was one-sided. Popov dominated from start to finish, winning 21–19, 21–8 to book his place in the final.

Also Read: BWF World Tour Finals 2025: All you need to know about prize money & points on offer

The championship match saw Popov at his absolute best. Against Shi Yuqi, the same opponent who had beaten him earlier in the year at the BWF World Championships, Popov showed no hesitation.

Christo Popov’s victory was all the more special given the context of his 2025 season. While he had been one of the most consistent players on tour, he had not won a single men’s singles title before the Finals. He entered the tournament ranked No. 8, having qualified as the only title less player on the field.

He reached the finals of both the Swiss Open and the French Open, while also making semi-final appearances at the Singapore Open, Japan Open, China Open and Hong Kong Open.

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