Source: REUTERS/Arko Datta
[Saba Sports News] On April 18, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) updated the list of participants for the Singapore Open Badminton Championship 2025. As a Super750 level event, it attracted many top players to compete. Although China’s national badminton team sent out its full-strength lineup, the adjustment of mixed doubles pairings once again sparked widespread attention, especially towards Feng Yanzhe. He allegedly triggered a public backlash by requesting a split with Olympic champion Huang Dongping, leading to controversy. In the Thailand and Malaysia events, Jiang Zhenbang/ Wei Yaxin and Huang Dongping/Feng Yanzhe paired up. However, at the Singapore Open, the mixed doubles pairing reverted to the All England Championship line-up: Feng Yanzhe paired with Wei Yaxin, and Jiang Zhenbang paired with Huang Dongping. This adjustment may have been due to unsatisfactory results at the Asian Badminton Championships. However, given the high level of the Singapore Open, Jiang Zhenbang/Huang Dongping duo may not qualify for the main draw post-split. This change has sparked heated discussions among fans, with rumors circulating that the split was initiated by Feng Yanzhe to Huang Dongping. Many fans criticized Feng Yanzhe for “failing to remember his roots.” Facing this public crisis, on the evening of April 19, Huang Dongping posted on Weibo stating that mixed doubles must stay united. Her post included an image of key mixed doubles teammates watching match replays together in a room. A group of national team teammates supported her in the comments section, with Feng Yanzhe also retweeting the post. However, this response did not calm the storm, as some fans pointed out that since his debut, Feng Yanzhe has always relied on female partners and lacked leadership qualities. In our view, if Feng Yanzhe wants to quell the controversy, he needs to maintain good form at the Singapore Open and respond to doubts with performance.