Shi Yuqi crowned champion at the prestigious badminton tournament organized by Lin Dan

The reigning world number one in badminton confirmed his strength at the tournament hosted on home soil by the legendary elder Lin Dan.

The current world number one men’s singles player - Shi Yuqi claimed the championship title at the King Cup International Badminton Open 2025 after a 2-0 victory (22-20; 21-7) against Anders Antonsen on the evening of December 28th, Vietnam time.

Facing the world number three and last year’s King Cup champion was a major challenge for Shi Yuqi. The Chinese player and Antonsen delivered thrilling and intense moments in the first game. Backed by the home crowd, Shi played brilliantly at the crucial moments to narrowly win 22-20.

The second game was completely dominated by the current world number one. He played aggressively with unstoppable smashes, racing to a 14-point margin victory to become the new champion of the tournament organized by the legend Lin Dan.

On his way to winning this valuable trophy, Shi Yuqi did not lose a single game. He defeated Kento Momota 21-19; 21-15 in the opening match, overcame Alex Lanier 21-15; 21-17 in the semifinals before decisively beating Antonsen.

Lanier also secured the King Cup bronze medal this year after defeating Jonatan Christie in the third-place match. Shi, Antonsen, and Lanier received 1.2 million, 600 thousand, and 350 thousand yuan respectively, with the champion also awarded a personalized throne and trophy.

Shi Yuqi ended 2025 on a relatively high note by winning the home friendly tournament and finishing runner-up at the BWF World Tour Finals last week. The 29-year-old maintained his world badminton number one status despite losing it briefly to Kunlavut Vitidsarn mid-season.