The BWF World Championships are coming to New Delhi as the action runs from August 17-23, 2026. This is India’s second time hosting the event since 2009 in Hyderabad. Over 200 players across the globe will be participating in the tournament set to be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in the capital city.ย ย
The event marks one of the biggest dates on the badminton calendar, drawing fans and media attention from across the globe. Here is all you need to know about the five women competitors to watch out for.ย
1. An Se Young (South Korea)
An Se Young arrives in New Delhi as the outright favourite. The former world No. 1 and Paris 2024 Olympic champion completed a career Grand Slam this April, beating Wang Zhiyi in the Asian Championships final.ย
Key achievements
Gold medal โ Paris 2024 Olympic Games
ย
Gold medal โ BWF World Championships (2023)
Gold medal โ Asian Games (2022)
Badminton Asia Championships winner (2026)
Former World No. 1
2. Wang Zhiyi (China)
Wang Zhiyi’s season peaked in March, when she won the All England Open title, following her win in the Badminton Asia Championships in 2025. Wang’s two Asian Championships titles date back to 2022 and 2024. She’s yet to reach a World Championships final and heads to Delhi as China’s other major threat to opponents.ย
Key achievements
All England Open Champion (2026)
Badminton Asia Championships Champion (2022, 2024)
Multiple HSBC BWF World Tour titles
Former World No. 1
3. Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
Akane Yamaguchi’s World Championships record is close to unmatched. She won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022, then added a third in Paris in 2025. A former World No. 1, she remains one of the field’s most dangerous players in the tournament.ย
Key achievements
Gold medal โ BWF World Championships (2021)
Gold medal โ BWF World Championships (2022)
Gold medal โ BWF World Championships (2025)
Former World No. 1
4. P.V. Sindhu (India)
Sindhu arrives at her home World Championships in mixed form. She is set to attract the most attention among Indian players as thereโs a lot of expectation from her after the stunning win in Japan Open. She is also Indiaโs only two-time Olympic badminton medallist and 2019 World champion.
Key achievements
Gold medal โ BWF World Championships (2019)
Silver medal โ Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Bronze medal โ Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Japan Open Champion (2026)
Career-high World No. 2
5. Chen Yufei (China)
Chen Yufei has carried Chinese women’s singles for close to a decade. The Tokyo 2020 champion and former World No. 1 played through an ankle injury to reach last year’s World Championships final, where she lost to Yamaguchi. Following her second-place finish at the 2025 BWF Championship, she is set to play in Delhi and compete for the missing title from her resume.ย
Key achievements
Gold medal โ Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Silver medal โ BWF World Championships (2025)
Former World No. 1
Uber Cup and Sudirman Cup champion