Source: Visual China Group/VCG
[Saba Sports News] On March 31, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) published an article titled “HYLO Open Elevated to Super 500 Status”, announcing that the HYLO Open in Saarbrucken, Germany, will be upgraded from Super 300 to Super 500 for the 2025-2026 seasons. This change comes after the Canada Open was downgraded from Super 500 to Super 300 for the remainder of its hosting cycle. After evaluation, the BWF deemed the HYLO Open a suitable replacement for a Super 500 event. Records show that the Canada Open had been a Super 100 event since the BWF’s new tournament system was introduced in 2018. However, it was suddenly elevated to Super 500 in 2023. Some fans speculate this was due to the BWF’s push to promote badminton in the Americas, or Canada’s emergence of strong players like Brian Yang and Michelle Li Man-sha, combined with the approaching Paris Olympics qualification period. The Badminton Canada Association likely aimed to attract more top-tier players by raising the tournament’s status.