Kunlavut Vitidsarn

Kunlavut Vitidsarn is the player who makes you hit one more shot than you wanted to. He is world No. 2 on the BWF list of 27 October 2026 with 89,465 points, 467 behind Christo Popov, having held No. 1 until Popov won the French Open. He first reached the top on 3 June 2025. Of the two, he is the one with a world title and an Olympic medal.

Who he is

Vitidsarn was born on 11 May 2001 in Chonburi, Thailand, and is coached by Patapol Ngernsrisuk. He won the World Championships in Copenhagen in 2023, took silver at the 2022 and 2025 editions, and silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In September 2026 he added the Asian Games men’s singles gold in Aichi-Nagoya, beating Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 21-12, 21-16 in the final on 29 September. It was Thailand’s first Asian Games badminton gold in any individual event.

On the World Tour his biggest title is the 2026 Malaysia Open, a Super 1000, where Shi Yuqi retired in the final at 23-21, 6-1. He also has the India Open (2023) and Singapore Open (2025) at Super 750 level and the 2025 Asian Championships.

How he plays

Thai fans call him the “Three-Game God”, and the nickname describes the method. Vitidsarn defends. He is comfortable letting an opponent attack for long stretches, returning smashes flat and deep rather than lifting high, and he waits for the attacker’s legs to go. A lot of his wins come in three games because the first game is spent absorbing the other player’s best material.

For a club player there are two things worth copying. The first is the block defence: he takes the smash early, in front of the body, and plays it to the opposite net corner rather than straight back, so the attacker has to move a long way to keep the pressure on. The second is patience with the lift. He does not rush to counter-attack from a defensive position; he lifts to the deep corners until a short clear or a tired smash gives him a shuttle he can hit down. When he does attack, the follow-up is quick and he finishes at the net.

The downside of this style is visible too. Against an opponent who can keep the attack going for 60 or 70 minutes without the smash losing pace, he can be outlasted, and the 2026 record shows a few tight losses in deciding games.

2026 so far

• Malaysia Open, Kuala Lumpur, 6 to 11 January (Super 1000): champion. Shi Yuqi retired in the final at 23-21, 6-1.
• All England Open, Birmingham, 3 to 8 March (Super 1000): semi-finalist.
• Asian Championships, Ningbo (April): bronze, losing the semi-final to India’s Ayush Shetty 21-10, 19-21, 17-21.
• Thailand Open, Bangkok, 12 to 17 May (Super 500): runner-up at home, losing to Anders Antonsen 21-9, 22-24, 18-21 after holding game points in the second.
• Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya (September): gold, beating Loh Kean Yew 21-12, 21-16 in the final on 29 September, plus bronze with the Thai men’s team.
• Ranking, 27 October: dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 when Popov’s French Open points landed.

He also played the Japan Open, China Masters and Singapore Open without reaching a final.

Titles

Title	Level	Year
Asian Games, men’s singles	Multi-sport	2026
Malaysia Open	Super 1000	2026
Asian Championships	Continental	2025
Singapore Open	Super 750	2025
World Championships	World	2023
India Open	Super 750	2023

Medals: Olympic silver (Paris 2024), World Championships silver (2022, 2025), SEA Games gold in singles and team (2021).

What to watch for

The World Tour Finals in Hangzhou in December is the obvious target. He was runner-up there in 2021 and the field of eight suits his style: short tournament, no early rounds against players he can beat on autopilot. The year-end No. 1 will probably be decided there, and 467 points is less than one good week.

A drill for natural defenders: have a partner smash ten in a row at you and block every one to the opposite net corner. It is his pattern, and it turns a defensive rally into a running contest, and most attackers run out of smash before a good defender runs out of blocks.