Source:REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
[Saba Sports News] In the early morning of March 9, the 2026 All England Open Badminton Championships came to a close. The world rankings for week 11 of 2026 will be updated on March 10, with significant adjustments across all categories.
In men’s singles, defending champion Shi Yuqi faced a first-round exit at the All England Badminton Open, allowing Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who reached the semifinals, to surpass him and drop him to second place. Last year’s surprise runner-up Chia Hao Lee also suffered a first-round exit and is now largely overlooked, plummeting 11 places and nearing the edge of falling out of the world rankings’ top 32.
Lin Chun-Yi, benefiting from winning the All England Open Badminton Championships, rose three places to rank 8, marking his first time breaking into the top 10 in men’s singles. Canadian player Victor Lai also moved up three positions to rank 13, achieving a new career high. Although Lakshya Sen’s rank remains unchanged at 12, he is very close to breaking into the top 10.
The editor believes that Shi Yuqi must quickly adjust his condition and recover his health to regain his scoring advantage in upcoming events. Whether Kunlavut can solidify his position as world number one depends on his ability to consistently perform under pressure in high-stakes matches.