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Malaysia’s hopes of ending a 12-year men’s doubles title drought at home were dashed on Sunday evening (11 January).
Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik lost 21-15, 12-21, 21-18 to South Korea’s world No. 1 pair Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae in the Malaysia Open final at Axiata Arena.
The world No. 2 Malaysians started slowly and dropped the first set 15-21 after making several unforced errors, but the 2022 world champions roared back in the second set with dominant play, racing to an 18-11 lead before sealing it 21-12 to force a decider.
In the final set, the Koreans surged ahead 11-4, but Aaron-Wooi Yik refused to go down quietly, clawing back to within one point at 18-17 before the defending champions closed out the match 21-18 after 66 minutes of intense action.
The defeat marks Malaysia’s continued search for a home men’s doubles champion, with the last victory coming from Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah in 2014, and extends Aaron-Wooi Yik’s wait for their first Super 1000 title after seven final losses at that level.
As runners-up, the Malaysian pair took home USD50,750 (RM207,745) in prize money, while the Korean champions collected USD107,300 (RM439,232).
All Malaysians Are Proud’: PM Anwar Consoles Aaron-Wooi Yik after Final Loss
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who watched the match with the Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah also present at Axiata Arena, presented the medals and praised the duo’s fighting spirit despite the loss.
“Although luck was not on our side, all Malaysians, including myself, are proud of the fighting spirit displayed by Aaron-Wooi Yik who came so close to defeating their opponents,” he said in a social media post.
Anwar urged them to “keep working hard, fix every weakness and maintain your confidence” while expressing hope that the world No. 2 pair would create more success in the future.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) President Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz echoed similar sentiments in a post on X.
He stated that the defeat was not a failure but rather a sign that Malaysia is once again competing at the highest level, praising the pair for withstanding immense pressure and refusing to give up easily on the final stage.
An Se-young Starts 2026 Where She Left Off: On Top Of The Badminton World
Elsewhere in the tournament, South Korean badminton star An Se-young kicked off 2026 with a bang, beating China’s Wang Zhiyi 2-0 in the women’s singles to clinch her third straight title at the tournament.
The 24-year-old world No. 1 showed her trademark fighting spirit, rallying from 1-6 down in the first set.
But the real drama came in the second set when she erased a 15-19 deficit and saved a game point at 22-22 before sealing victory with a diagonal shot that landed inside the baseline.
The win marks An’s 17th victory in 21 career meetings against Wang and continues the momentum from her record-breaking 2025 season, when she tied the single-season wins record with 11 titles, posted a historic 94.8% win rate, and became badminton’s first million-dollar earner in a single year.
For An, the new year isn’t about adaptation—it’s simply a continuation of her dominance at the sport’s highest level.
Fresh off a record-breaking 2025 season where she tied the single-season wins record with 11 titles, posted a 94.8% win rate, and became badminton’s first million-dollar earner in a year, An is now eyeing even bigger goals.
China Dominates Doubles, Kunlavut Benefits From Injury As Malaysia Open Concludes
Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn won the men’s singles crown after China’s Shi Yuqi retired with a back injury while trailing 23-21, 6-1.
The retirement allowed Kunlavut to claim his first championship of the 2026 season without finishing the match.
Meanwhile, Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping won the mixed doubles title, marking their second consecutive victory in the tournament.
They defeated their teammates Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin with a score of 21-19, 21-19
In the women’s doubles, Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning from China won after defeating Baek Hana and Lee So Hee from South Korea with scores of 21-18, 21-12.
Despite a spirited first set that saw them level at 14-14 after a grueling four-minute rally, the Koreans couldn’t maintain their momentum as fatigue set in during the second set, allowing the Chinese pair to pull away with successive points.
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So Close, Yet So Far: Malaysia’s Wait For Badminton Home Glory Continues
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