Christo Popov holds the greatest title of his career and the greatest achievement of the badminton French.
This Sunday, December 21 in Hangzhou, the Frenchman beat Shi Yu Qi in the final of BWF World Tour Finals 2025 (21-19, 21-9). He produced an exceptional performance, in line with his incredible week, to overcome the world number 1.
“If I had been told last week, before leaving, that I was going to win, frankly borderline improbable, but happy with all the results, all the matches. Day after day, it was super complicated, it took a lot of mental, physical and in-game energy to get all these group matches, already, in three very complicated sets, but also subsequently the semi-final and the final today,” reacted Christo Popov for the FFBad.
The 23-year-old badista did not tremble when writing history in the face of world champion. He won the first three points of the game, a start that set the tone.
Christo Popov didn’t give up in this exceptional duel, like this exchange at 12-12 where even while falling, he managed to send the shuttlecock back to the other side of the net, but not to win the point.
No matter, he continued by equalizing at 13-13 then escaping to offer himself three sets. The third was the right one to give him the advantage and launch him towards the title.
Shi Yu Qi, was unable to come back in a one-sided second set. The points went in favor of the badista from Fos-sur-Mer who always found the solution, by multiplying exceptional defenses and exceptional shots.
He was just too strong today and there’s a picture to prove it. At the end of the match, his opponent could no longer even defend all the smashes from the Habs who were flying away.
“This final, the first set is really very complicated, the second is only in one direction but it was also hard for me to get all the shuttlecocks. I am very happy to have made it happen, in the People’s Republic of China no less,” he sums up.
After 45 minutes of play, Christo Popov took his revenge on the man who eliminated him at the last World Championships, winning his first title of the season, one of the most prestigious on the circuit and the greatest in the history of the French team.
