China starts Thomas & Uber Cup defense

At 14:30 Beijing time on April 24, China’s national badminton team will officially kick off its 2026 Thomas & Uber Cup campaign. The team has announced its opening match lineup — the Thomas Cup squad is led by world champions Shi Yuqi and the men’s doubles pair Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang, while the Uber Cup team is spearheaded by Olympic champions Chen Yufei and Jia Yifan. China will now embark on its journey to defend both titles.

Two years ago, the Chinese team lifted both trophies in Chengdu. Now, two years on in Denmark, China enters as the top seed in both the Thomas and Uber Cups. In the Thomas Cup, China is drawn in Group A alongside India, Canada, and Australia. In the Uber Cup, China is also placed in Group A with India, Denmark, and Ukraine. The group stage runs from April 24 to 29.

This afternoon, China will make its first appearances in both competitions simultaneously — the Thomas Cup team faces Australia, while the Uber Cup team takes on Ukraine. In terms of lineup strategy, the men’s team has fielded its strongest players, whereas the women’s team has rested its highest-ranked singles and doubles players — Wang Zhiyi and Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning.

China’s Thomas Cup lineup:
First singles: Shi Yuqi
Second singles: Li Shifeng
Third singles: Lu Guangzu
First doubles: Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang
Second doubles: Chen Boyang/Liu Yi

China’s Uber Cup lineup:
First singles: Chen Yufei
Second singles: Han Yue
Third singles: Xu Wenjing
First doubles: Jia Yifan/Zhang Shuxian
Second doubles: Li Yijing/Luo Xumin