▲ The potential demonstrated by Pichamon, who went to deuce with Ahn Se-young’s rival Chen Yu-fei, attracted the attention of many badminton fans. It was clearly revealed that she was not just a promising prospect with a beautiful appearance worthy of being called the Thai badminton fairy. ⓒ PASJABAR
[스포티비뉴스=조용운 기자] A new star has been born in the world badminton world’s women’s singles. Thailand’s rising star Pichamon Opatnipus (19, world ranking 30th) became the youngest finalist in the history of the Super 500 level competition, even though he did not reach the top.
Pichamon met 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Chen Yufei (3rd place, China) in the women’s singles final of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Indonesia Masters held on the 25th, losing with a set score of 0-2 (21-23, 13-21) and taking second place. Although he missed out on the championship, he proved that he is more than just a promising player with his performances throughout this tournament.
Pichamon advanced to the finals in this tournament by defeating opponents with higher rankings than him one after another. The sharp attacks and confident game management coming from a player over 170cm tall drew enthusiastic support. Even in the face of a powerful opponent in the finals, Chen Yufei, he showed off his power by pushing the team to a deuce in the first game.
According to the Indonesian media ‘Pasjabar’ on the 29th, according to BWF official records, Pichamon remains the youngest player ever to reach the finals of the Super 500 level competition at the age of 19. After winning the 2023 World Junior Championships and going through a period of adaptation to the adult stage, he has grown to a level that threatens the top adult rankings this year.
▲ The potential demonstrated by Pichamon, who went to deuce with Ahn Se-young’s rival Chen Yu-fei, attracted the attention of many badminton fans. It was clearly revealed that she was not just a promising prospect with a beautiful appearance worthy of being called the Thai badminton fairy. ⓒ OKEZONE
Of course, there is something wrong with this record. The World Tour Super 500 level cannot be considered very difficult. The reason Ahn Se-young, who has been achieving success since she was a teenager, is not the youngest finalist is because she competed at higher level competitions from an early age. Ahn Se-young won the French Open (Super 750), a higher-level tour, in 2019 when she was 17 years old. The 2022 Korea Open is the first time he has won the Super 500 competition, after already reaching the top spot.
Even so, the badminton world is delighted with the emergence of a new player who shows potential. Chen Yu-fei, his opponent in the finals, also lived up to his name by returning to third place in the world rankings with this win, but admitted in a post-match interview that he had a hard time due to Pichamon’s strong pursuit.
China’s ‘Sohu’, who watched Chen Yufei’s classic, also said, “Picamon still seems to need improvement in book management and physical strength,” but also expected, “There is ample growth potential. Ahn Se-young’s skills also began to improve in earnest around the age of 21. Pichamon’s current age is when Ahn Se-young unleashed his potential.”
▲ The potential demonstrated by Pichamon, who went to deuce with Ahn Se-young’s rival Chen Yu-fei, attracted the attention of many badminton fans. It was clearly revealed that she was not just a promising prospect with a beautiful appearance worthy of being called the Thai badminton fairy. ⓒ 35 EXPRESS
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