As the Thailand Open approaches, Kunlavut Vitidsarn is preparing to perform on home soil. The tournament is set to start on May 12 and will run until May 17 in Bangkok.

Fans have already started speculating about possible opponents and even theorizing a route to the final for the Thai star to win the title.

The theorized route for the Thai player begins with an opening-round match against Japan’s Yudai Okimoto in the round of 32, followed by a potential clash with Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen in the round of 16.

He is also expected to meet India’s top seed, Lakshya Sen, in the quarterfinals. If he manages to get past that match, the semifinal stage looks even more competitive, with possible opponents including Chinese player Li Shifeng, 2016 Chinese Taipei Open champion Chou Tien-chen, fellow Thai player Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul, and Indonesia’s Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah.

However, the most discussed potential game is a final against Shi Yuqi, who recently helped China win the 2026 Thomas Cup and has continued to compete at the highest level with the same intensity.

Kunlavut has faced many intense matches leading up to the Thailand Open, with his form and performances on court drawing a great deal of attention in the badminton world.

He became the first player to win three consecutive BWF World Junior Championship titles from 2017 to 2019 and later went on to win the 2023 BWF World Championships title.

He also won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and reached World No. 1 during his career. In the latest BWF rankings, Kunlavut is placed among the top two players in the world alongside Shi Yuqi.

Kunlavut Vitidsarn’s recent form

At the 2026 Thomas Cup quarterfinals in Horsens, Denmark, Kunlavut played the opening singles match against Denmark’s Anders Antonsen. However, the Thai shuttler was defeated after a long three-game battle, 16–21, 21–11, 18–21, in 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Before that loss, Kunlavut had opened the 2026 season strongly by defeating World No. 1 Shi Yuqi in the Malaysia Open final. He ultimately won the title after the Chinese player retired due to injury.

He also consistently reached the finals of many major tournaments and maintained his ranking among the top men’s singles players.

With recent matches against top opponents like Antonsen, Shi Yuqi, and Lakshya Sen, the Thai shuttler has shown his ability to compete at a high level ahead of his Thailand Open title defense.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Sahil Prashar