By the time the lights dim on 2025, badminton may look very different from when the season began.

From record-breaking achievements to droughts stretching back decades, here’s why HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2025 could be one of the most significant season-enders yet.

Record-Chasers

An Se Young

• Could equal Kento Momota’s record of 11 singles titles in a season
• Reaching at least the semifinals could secure her the highest single-season win rate (minimum 60 matches played)

Seo Seung Jae

• Could win his 12th title of 2025, the most in a year by any individual player in the HSBC BWF World Tour era
• Has already won 10 titles with Kim Won Ho and one with Jin Yong

Seo/Kim

• Could set the men’s doubles record for most titles in a season with their 11th

Age Milestones

Tomoka Miyazaki

• At 19 years, four months, four days could become the youngest World Tour Finals champion
• Would break the current record held by An (19 years, 10 months in 2021)

Chou Tien Chen

• At 35 years, 11 months, 13 days could become the oldest World Tour Finals winner
• Would surpass Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (35 years, 10 months in 2024)

Nations Seeking Historic Firsts

Thailand

• Could produce their first-ever singles champion at a season-ender
• Hopefuls: Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Ratchanok Intanon, Pornpawee Chochuwong

India

• Could crown first doubles champions at World Tour Finals
• Contenders: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty
• Pusarla V. Sindhu in 2018 remains India’s only previous season finale champion

France

• Could produce their first season-ender champion (s)
• Hopefuls: Christo Popov, Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue

Malaysia

• Could claim their first World Tour Finals champions

Category-Specific Breakthroughs

Women’s doubles – Chinese Taipei

• Have never had champions in this category
• Represented by Hsieh Pei Shan/Hung En Tzu

Mixed doubles – Malaysia, Japan

• Never won a season-ending mixed doubles title
• Contenders: Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei (world champions), Goh Soon Huat/Shevon Jemie Lai, Hiroki Midorikawa/Natsu Saito

Hunting All-Time Greatness

Jia Yi Fan

• Could win fourth World Tour Finals title
• Would tie compatriots Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong as the most successful players in tournament history

Ultra-Long Droughts to Smash

Indonesia

• Men’s singles: Joko Suprianto in 1995 was the last winner.
• Women’s singles: Only previous winner is Susi Susanti, whose last of six titles came in 1996.
• Mixed doubles: Most recent winners were Trikus Heryanto/Minarti Timur in 1995.

Chinese Taipei

• Men’s singles: Fung Permadi in 1996 the sole winner to date.

Malaysia

• Women’s doubles: Chin Ee Hui/Wong Pei Tty won their country’s only two titles in the category in 2008 and 2009.

Hangzhou 2025 – one tournament, countless moments of history waiting to happen.

* Record-keeping began in 1989