Indonesian men’s singles player Moh Zaki Ubaidillah, widely known as Ubed, addressed the differences in facing Alex Lanier and Christo Popov at the French Open 2026, PBSI reported. The 19-year-old rising talent reached his first Super 750 final, defeating high-profile opponents before falling to France’s Christo Popov in a three-game title match, 11-21, 21-14, 13-21, CNN Indonesia reported.
French Open Run and Final Defeat
Ubed navigated the tournament bracket as an unseeded competitor, stringing together victories over established names. In the opening round, he eliminated compatriot and fourth-seeded Jonatan Christie, CNN Indonesia noted. He later ousted seventh-seeded Alex Lanier in the semifinals to secure his spot in the championship match against Popov, who entered the draw as the third seed.
Despite capturing attention with his deep run in Paris, Ubed expressed mixed emotions about his runner-up finish. “Secara hasil memang belum sesuai dengan apa yang saya inginkan,” Ubed stated through official PBSI channels. “Saya ekspektasikan tetapi saya tetap bersyukur Alhamdulillah dengan capaian ini.” (While the result is not yet what I wanted or expected, I remain grateful to God for this achievement.)
Head-to-Head History and Tournament Context
The final marked a meeting between Ubed and Popov on the international circuit. Their previous encounter took place in May at the Malaysia Masters 2026 quarterfinals, where Popov edged out the Indonesian player 21-23, 19-21 in a 52-minute battle, CNN Indonesia reported.
YONEX French Open 2026MS – R3216 21 21 🇮🇩Moh. Zaki UBAIDILLAH🥇21 17 17 🇮🇩Jonatan CHRISTIE🕚 in 69 minutes
Untuk Ubed, mencapai laga puncak di French Open mengikuti penampilan final sebelumnya di Indonesia Masters 2024 melawan Alwi Farhan, Indonesia Masters 2025 melawan Dong Tianyao, dan Thailand Masters 2026 melawan Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul, demikian CNN Indonesia merinci. Meanwhile, Popov secured his second title of the 2026 season in Paris, adding to earlier victories at the German Open and Japan Open.
Broader Indonesian Campaign in Paris
Ubed stood as the sole Indonesian representative in the finals at the Arena Grand Paris, mirroring a similar situation from the previous week when Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri reached the title match at the Denmark Open 2026, CNN Indonesia reported.
Other Indonesian pairs exited during the semifinal round. Men’s doubles duo Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin fell to Malaysia’s Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun 16-21, 15-21. Joaquin pointed to unforced errors at the net and strong defensive anticipation from the Malaysian pair as key differences in the match, PBSI reported. Fellow men’s doubles pair Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin were defeated by Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin 20-22, 9-21. In women’s doubles, Rachel Allessya Rose and Febi Setianingrum were eliminated by Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto 18-21, 15-21, RCTI+ reported.
Global Results and Upcoming BWF Schedule
The French Open 2026 finals concluded with titles distributed across five different countries, Kompasiana reported:
- Men’s Singles: Christo Popov (France) defeated Moh Zaki Ubaidillah (Indonesia) 11-21, 21-14, 13-21.
- Men’s Doubles: Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun (Malaysia) defeated Goh Tze Fei and Nur Izzuddin (Malaysia) 13-21, 21-15, 21-7.
- Women’s Doubles: Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto (Japan) defeated Pearly Tan and Thinaah (Malaysia) 10-21, 21-17, 21-16.
- Women’s Singles: An Se Young (South Korea) defeated Pusarla (India) 16-21, 21-11, 21-12.
- Mixed Doubles: Feng Yan Ze and Huang Dong Ping (China) defeated Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing (Malaysia) 21-10, 21-13.
Players are scheduled to return to competition at the upcoming Hylo Open, Kompasiana reported.
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