Alex Lanier, An Se-young Shine at Historic BWF World Championships 2026

The 2026 BWF World Championships concluded in spectacular fashion at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, with five new world champions crowned across the men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles events.

France emerged as the tournament’s biggest success story, claiming two historic gold medals. Twenty-one-year-old Alex Lanier produced a dominant performance to win France’s first-ever men’s singles World Championship title, while Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue added another gold in mixed doubles.

Title on the line as Kodai Naraoka 🇯🇵 contends against Alex Lanier 🇫🇷.#BWFWorldChampionships #NewDelhi2026 pic.twitter.com/dEpkquGWIj

— BWF (@bwfmedia) August 23, 2026

Alex Lanier Makes French Badminton History

The ninth-seeded Lanier defeated Japan’s 10th seed Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11 in the men’s singles final.

Lanier needed less than 50 minutes to complete a commanding straight-games victory. His remarkable campaign saw him lose only two games throughout the tournament, underlining his dominance on badminton’s biggest stage.

An Se Young 🇰🇷 puts reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi 🇯🇵 to the test.#BWFWorldChampionships #NewDelhi2026 pic.twitter.com/B2h8YoNrRI

— BWF (@bwfmedia) August 23, 2026

An Se-young Retains Women’s Singles Crown

South Korea’s world No. 1 and Olympic champion An Se-young successfully defended her women’s singles title after defeating Japan’s second seed Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14.

An produced a flawless tournament, winning the world title without dropping a single game. The victory further strengthened her remarkable record in India, where she has never lost a completed professional match.

Liang/Wang 🇨🇳 raise the intensity against former world champions Chia/Soh 🇲🇾.#BWFWorldChampionships #NewDelhi2026 pic.twitter.com/FeqEawmcVd

— BWF (@bwfmedia) August 23, 2026

Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang Win Men’s Doubles

China’s third-seeded combination of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang captured the men’s doubles crown with a 21-16, 21-17 victory over Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
The Chinese pair controlled the final from the outset, securing their first World Championship title with an assured straight-games performance.

Top seeds Liu/Tan 🇨🇳 and Baek/Lee 🇰🇷 go for gold.#BWFWorldChampionships #NewDelhi2026 pic.twitter.com/FpcXLvIvP6

— BWF (@bwfmedia) August 23, 2026

South Korea Ends 31-Year Women’s Doubles Wait

South Korea’s Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee produced one of the tournament’s biggest upsets in the women’s doubles final.

The third seeds defeated top-seeded defending champions Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China 21-15, 21-15 to claim gold.
Their triumph ended South Korea’s 31-year wait for a women’s doubles World Championship title.

Gicquel/Delrue 🇫🇷 leave it all on the court against No.1 seeds Feng/Huang 🇨🇳.#BWFWorldChampionships #NewDelhi2026 pic.twitter.com/My8NJhNV90

— BWF (@bwfmedia) August 23, 2026

Gicquel and Delrue Seal France’s Second Gold

France completed its historic double when fifth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue defeated world No. 1 Chinese pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping 22-20, 19-21, 21-15.

The 78-minute final tested both combinations, but the French duo held their nerve in the deciding game to secure France’s first mixed doubles World Championship gold.

Treesa and Gayatri - BWF World Championships Bronze Medalists 🥹🏅

Proud moment for 🇮🇳 and TreeGa on the home soil.#bwfworldchampionships #newdelhi2026 #smashforIndia #delhishormacha pic.twitter.com/75yYtgCjPa

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 23, 2026

India Takes Women's Doubles Bronze

The host nation also enjoyed a memorable tournament, with India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand securing a historic women’s doubles bronze medal.
Their run added another significant achievement for Indian badminton and highlighted the country’s growing presence at the highest level of the sport.

A World Championship to Remember

The 2026 BWF World Championships will be remembered for France’s breakthrough double-gold achievement, An Se-young’s continued dominance and major shifts across the doubles events.

With New Delhi providing the stage for a week of high-quality badminton, the championships further showcased India’s ability to host elite global sporting events while underlining the rapidly evolving international badminton landscape.