Finals day at YONEX All England Open 2026 belonged to Chinese Taipei, who carved out history with maiden victories in mixed doubles and men’s singles.
Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan, along with Lin Chun-yi, backed up their semifinal heroics on Saturday to etch their names into Chinese Taipei’s badminton history.
For Ye and Chan, their 21-19 21-18 victory over fancied French pair Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue came with raw energy and emotion. “We had never won against them. So, it was an amazing result, very emotional. I was screaming a lot after each point,” said Ye.
“I was very, very excited. I wouldn’t normally shout on the court. But during those decisive points, I felt really nervous and I wouldn’t have been able to play if I didn’t release the nerves and shout after the points.
“I wasn’t playing that well in the first game but Chan told me our opponents were even more nervous than us, so that helped and I was able to calm down and perform well towards the end.”
The pair now boast a Super 1000 crown to sit alongside the Super 300 and Super 100 titles already on their résumé. “From Super 500 to Super 1000, I think the best result we had was a semifinal place. Today is a great thrill and achievement,” Ye added.
Lin will now move to the top of the HSBC Race To Finals Rankings with his second title of the year – a first Super 1000 crown to add to his India Open trophy from January.
After a long week, his pace, stamina, precision and mental strength proved too much for India’s Lakshya Sen, 21-15 22-20.
“It’s true I was very tired but there was one point that actually he played it out and I played it back. I was very annoyed with myself because that point would have finished the match,” he said.
“Normally, I would really care about that mistake and let it get to me. But today I was like, okay, two more points, calm down and just focus on the next point.
“Winning the All England is a dream come true. I remember during COVID‑19 times, watching my teammates play this tournament, I was very excited. And from watching it on TV to now being able to play and win it is unbelievable.”
The trio join triple winner Tai Tzu Ying as the only All England champions from Chinese Taipei.
Credits: BWF
