Five Days to History
What could herald a brighter 2026 for France than a Frenchman topping the podium at the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2025 – a contest featuring the best of the best over the season?
· DEV SUKUMAR
When he arrived at the season finale, Christo Popov was confident in his preparation and satisfied with his season – he had been in two finals and five semifinals. He was hopeful of the New Year bringing with it a major title.
The wish was to be fulfilled within a week as he took down, in succession, Anders Antonsen, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Jonatan Christie, Kodai Naraoka, and finally, world champion Shi Yu Qi.
The match that defined his campaign came at the beginning, when with Antonsen closing in from seven match points down, Popov had a nasty fall and hurt his left leg. Wincing in pain, he somehow finished the match with Antonsen just a point away.