‘Just Hungry for a Medal’

Far from letting his close second round loss at his home BWF World Championships dispirit him, Christo Popov used it as a springboard for a spectacular 12 months.

Last year he was close to taking out top seed Shi Yu Qi in the Round of 16 in front of a delirious crowd in Paris; Shi would survive and go on to win the title.

For Popov, there was much to take from that performance. Since then, he has been among the most impressive players on the circuit. He would make history for France in winning the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals; this year would see him win the European Championships, spearhead France into the final of the BWF Thomas Cup, and win his first Super 750 tournament in Japan.

His exploits over the year does make him one of the favourites at the 2026 edition, and Popov does sound confident about his chances.

“I feel good,” he says. “I know it could be a good tournament for me, but at the same time, so many good players are coming up. So many good players are also staying at the top. I think it’s a good mix this year, where I would say many people can be world champions, or many people can get a medal, and the draw is really intense with a lot of good players. It can be a moment for everyone actually, and I hope it can be mine.

“The energy’s on, I would say we are also in a good team. Good spirit and just hungry for a medal, actually. We just want so bad our first men’s singles medal. We are three extraordinary men’s singles who have the level, and now it’s just going to be sport, I would say.”

How much did that match contribute to you getting better? What did that performance tell you?

Against Shi Yu Qi in the last 16, it was very close match and after that he was world champion. So there are lots of good memories from there and maybe some experience as well and maybe if it was this year, then I could have done better. I think I’m a better athlete today than I was last year.

It told me that I was really close to have the level of a world champion. Every match was really close for him, but I also meant that he was vulnerable, and that I could be in his place; that everyone who played against him — even Victor Lai had match point in the semifinals – so I think it’s just about details at the end, and that’s also what sport is teaching us, that sometimes we lose 21 in the third game, sometimes we win.

As long as you put all the details in your favour, you’ve done everything you can, and then after it’s just sport.

After the World Championships, you won the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals, led France to the Thomas Cup silver medal and won the Japan Open – it has been a dream year, right?

We could say that, but also I think it’s a different year. Last year was more consistent, being almost in the semifinal, quarterfinal of every tournament; this year I was more into doing a really good result such as winning the German Open or Japan Open or European Championships, but also sometimes losing first round. So it was depending on my shape I think, and maybe I was less consistent, but on I was going deeper.

I prefer to have a year when I win titles — of course, having some setbacks with first rounds or second rounds — than just being in quarterfinals, semifinals. It’s less consistent, but overall, it means that I have the level to go and beat everyone. That’s more important, and I think that’s also the kind of level and athlete I need to be the world champion because when you go at the World Championships, you don’t want to just play quarterfinals or semifinals, you want to go for a win. And maybe that’s how my year has been through 2026.

How different are you as a player now compared to 2025?

Overall, certainly more confident, more relaxed mentally, where I accept that I won’t be 100 per cent. When you are between top 20 to 30, you always are kind of scared for your place, because it’s very important to be in it, but once you do those consistent results and also many years on the World Tour, you know you have your ups and downs, and I think it’s easier for me now to accept a loss in the first round. Because I know it’s a setback and I will have good results later. As long as I as I give my best, I just don’t have any regrets.

Will we see something this week that we haven’t seen earlier? Have you worked on adding anything to your game lately?

Yeah, maybe, let’s say it’s one of the most important tournaments since the World Tour Finals. So maybe a more focussed self. I know that when it when it matters the most, and if I’m a bit stressed, then I know I can focus more and probably get out the best out of me.

And maybe I’ll be a bit more emotional.

Winning the World Tour Finals must have told you that you can all the way at major tournaments.

Exactly. It means that I could repeat that. I’ve done it once, so it’s always easy to repeat something that you have already done. Let’s say that I know I can do it and now it’s just about am I better than the opponent today.

Any special message from your father before you get started here?

He’s done what he can to prepare us the best. I’m sure he’s going to coach us the best he can. We are part of this World Championships together, and win or lose, we do it together.