Top names Shi Yuqi and Kunlavut Vitidsarn headline withdrawals from BWF Korea Open 2025

The Korea Open 2025, a Super 500 event scheduled in Suwon, South Korea, has suffered a string of high-profile exits across all five categories, reshaping the competition and opening the door for rising players to shine.

China’s Shi Yuqi, the current World No. 1, will be a major absence in the men’s singles draw. Fresh off his 2025 World Championships triumph in late August, Shi has withdrawn from all tournaments since, opting for rest and recovery.

Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the 2023 World Champion and Olympic silver medallist, has also pulled out. Vitidsarn, who finished runner-up to Shi at the 2025 World Championships, retired midway through his China Masters quarterfinal last week against Christo Popov, likely due to exhaustion.

Their absence weakens the top end of the field considerably, creating opportunities for younger shuttlers to advance deeper into the tournament.

India’s Kidambi Srikanth and Canada’s Brian Yang, both regular faces on the World Tour, will also sit out, alongside Belgium’s Julien Carraggi and Vietnam’s Le Duc Phat.

In women’s singles, the competition has been hit the hardest. China’s Wang Zhi Yi, Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, and Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon have all withdrawn. India’s campaign has taken a dent too, with two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu, Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, and Shriyanshi Valishetty among those missing. Japan’s Riko Gunji also joins the absentee list.

At the 2025 World Championships, Sindhu scored an impressive Round of 16 victory over China’s Wang Zhiyi before bowing out in the quarterfinals to Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani. The signs, however, remain promising as Sindhu continues to show glimpses of her old rhythm. At the China Masters last week, she advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to World No. 1 An Se-young of Korea.

The doubles categories have not been spared either. Malaysia’s Olympic bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik headline the men’s doubles withdrawals, while their compatriots Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun are also out.

Women’s doubles sees a wave of absentees, including China’s World No. 1 pair Tan Ning/Liu Sheng Shu, Malaysia’s Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan, and the USA’s Allison Lee/Lauren Lam. Japan’s Mizuki Otake/Miyu Takahashi and India’s Shruti Mishra/Priya Konjenbam add to the missing names.

In mixed doubles, Hong Kong China’s Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet and Indonesia’s Rinov Rivaldy/Pitha Haningtyas Mentari are notable withdrawals. India too faces setbacks with Bokka Navaneeth/Maheshwari Devi Kshetrimayum and Ayush Agarwal/Shruti Mishra both pulling out.

These withdrawals may dent the overall star power of the Korea Open 2025, but they also pave the way for underdogs to make their mark and collect valuable ranking points in the run-up to the year-end World Tour Finals.

That said, here’s the full list of players who have withdrawn from BWF Korea Open 2025.

Men’s Singles

• Shi Yuqi (China)
• Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand)
• Brian Yang (Canada)
• Kidambi Srikanth (India)
• Julien Carraggi (Belgium)
• Le Duc Phat (Vietnam)

Women’s Singles

• Wang Zhi Yi (China)
• Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (Indonesia)
• Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand)
• P. V. Sindhu (India)
• Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Thailand)
• Riko Gunji (Japan)
• Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj (India)
• Shriyanshi Valishetty (India)

Men’s Doubles

• Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia)
• Man Wei Chong / Tee Kai Wun (Malaysia)

ALSO READ: BWF Korea Open 2025: Live streaming, TV channel, where & how to watch?

Women’s Doubles

• Zhang Shu Xian / Keng Shu Liang (China)
• Tan Ning / Liu Sheng Shu (China)
• Pearly Tan / Thinaah Muralitharan (Malaysia)
• Allison Lee / Lauren Lam (USA)
• Mizuki Otake / Miyu Takahashi (Japan)
• Shruti Mishra / Priya Konjenbam (India)

Mixed Doubles

• Bokka Navaneeth / Maheshwari Devi Kshetrimayum (India)
• Tang Chun Man / Tse Ying Suet (Hong Kong China)
• Rinov Rivaldy / Pitha Haningtyas Mentari (Indonesia)
• Phuwanat Horbanluekit / Fungfa Korpthammakit (Thailand)
• Ayush Agarwal / Shruti Mishra (India)

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