Ninth seed Alex Lanier defeated Japan's Kodai Naraoka to clinch the men's singles gold at the BWF World Championships
The twenty-one-year-old became the first-ever French badminton player to win the men's singles world title
Lanier's historic victory secured a double-gold day for France
Alex Lanier became the first Frenchman to win the men's singles title at the BWF World Championships on Sunday. The 21-year-old ninth seed beat Japan's 10th-seeded Kodai Naraoka, a former World Championships finalist, 21-11, 21-11. Lanier won the match in straight games in approximately 50 minutes.
The final took place at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on August 23, 2026. Lanier dominated the court from the start, pressing the Japanese shuttler with aggressive tactics, Times of India reported. Lanier controlled the pace of the entire match as Naraoka struggled to answer the French player's swift court coverage.
Road To The Title
Lanier dropped only two games throughout the tournament, with both losses occurring during three-game knockout matches.
In the semi-final, Lanier recovered from a game down to defeat Canada's Victor Lai. The Frenchman secured a 16-21, 21-13, 21-14 victory to advance to the final.
The quarter-final was similarly challenging. Lanier fought back to defeat defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 19-21, 21-16, 21-16, overcoming an early deficit in the second game. France's badminton federation described the performance as another major step in his breakthrough campaign.
Historic Day For France
Prior to this 2026 edition, no French badminton player had ever reached a World Championships final. Sunday marked a double-gold day for the nation in New Delhi.
Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue won the mixed doubles title earlier on Sunday, securing France's first-ever BWF World Championships gold medal. Gicquel and Delrue defeated the top-seeded Chinese pair of Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping 22-20, 19-21, 21-15.
Following the historic victories, the French Badminton Federation (FFBaD) officially celebrated the achievements as a "journée historique" (historic day). The federation declared mixed doubles winners Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue as "à jamais les premiers" (forever the first). Following Alex Lanier's men's singles gold shortly after, they lauded the players for reaching the "toit du monde" (top of the world) on what they described as the most beautiful day in the history of French international badminton.
Lanier's Rapid Rise
Lanier won the European Junior Championships men's singles title in 2022.
In 2024, Lanier became the first French player to win a BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament, clinching the Japan Open title at age 19.
Lanier continued his ascent in 2025, becoming the first Frenchman to win the European men's singles championship after defeating compatriot Toma Junior Popov in the final.
