The 2026 Thomas & Uber Cup, held in Horsens, Denmark, concluded on May 3 local time. In the Thomas Cup final, the defending champion Chinese men’s team defeated France 3-1 to claim their 12th title. Meanwhile, the Chinese women’s team fell to South Korea 1-3 in the Uber Cup final, securing the runner-up position.
In the Thomas Cup showdown, China’s first singles player Shi Yuqi took on France’s Toma Junior Popov. Shi won the opening game 21-16 but lost the second 16-21 as Popov fought back. Shi regained composure in the decider, securing a hard-fought 21-17 victory to give China an early lead.
Following that, Li Shifeng faced France’s Alex Lanier, but lost in straight sets 13-21, 10-21, leveling the tie at 1-1.
The third men’s singles match saw Weng Hongyang battle France’s Christo Popov in a grueling 96-minute contest. Weng clinched a thrilling 22-20, 20-22, 21-19 victory, putting China ahead 2-1.
In the men’s doubles, the experienced Chinese pair He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu dominated France’s Lucas Corvée/Ronan Labar, winning 21-13, 21-16 to seal the overall victory for China.
In the Uber Cup final, China’s Wang Zhiyi took on world No. 1 An Se-young in the opening singles. An’s superior speed and consistency gave her a 21-10, 21-13 win, putting South Korea ahead.
The women’s doubles pair Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning then stepped up, defeating South Korea’s Jeong Na-eun/Lee So-hee (a temporary pairing) 21-15, 21-12 to level the tie.
In the third match, China’s Chen Yufei faced Kim Ga-eun. After a strong start, Chen’s errors increased, allowing Kim to stage a comeback and win in straight sets, putting South Korea 2-1 up.
Facing elimination, China’s combination Jia Yifan/Zhang Shuxian took the first game 21-16 against Baek Ha-na/Kim Hye-jeong. However, the Korean pair rallied to win the next two games 21-10, 21-13, completing a 3-1 victory for South Korea and claiming their third Uber Cup title.
