Source: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
[Saba Sports News] On the fourth day of the French Open, Kodai Naraoka was on the receiving end of a 6-point crushing defeat by Kunlavut Vitidsarn. The once highly-touted “post-00s duo” in the badminton world are now racing in completely different directions. The match was a one-sided rout, completely overturning external expectations for a clash between these top players. Naraoka found himself in a desperate 0-9 situation in the second game, with the rhythm of the entire match firmly controlled by his opponent. The spark and competitiveness that once earned him the title of Kento Momota’s successor were gone, making him seem like a completely different player from his peak form. Kunlavut’s progress has long been a consensus in the badminton world: his net shot control has become increasingly delicate and precise, his attacking methods have broken free from being one-dimensional, and, more importantly, his handling of crucial points shows a calmness and maturity far beyond his years. In contrast, Naraoka, the Japanese star who burst onto the scene in the 2022-2023 season, is now deeply mired in a career bottleneck, with fluctuating performance becoming the norm. So far this season, Naraoka has failed to reach a single final, and has been eliminated in the first two rounds of 10 tournaments, stuck in a career low.