BWF World Tour Finals 2022: Daily schedule and how to watch live
Check out our preview of the events on each day and what to look forward to in Bangkok, Thailand, from 7–11 December 2022.
Badminton
The end of the badminton season is here, and with it the BWF World Tour Finals 2022.
Only the best players on tour this season have qualified for the invitational event, with eight athletes or pairs taking part in each of the five events in Bangkok, Thailand, at the Nimibutr Arena from 7–11 December 2022.
It will be the second time in under two years the Thai capital has hosted the season-ending tournament, having also held the 2020 Finals in January 2021.
The Nimibutr Arena previously hosted the annual Thailand Open from 2012 to 2018.
Check out our daily preview below.
Times listed are in local time, which is UTC/GMT +7 hours.
Day 1 – Wednesday 7 December: Clash of world's top two in women's singles
There is one stand-out group from the 10 across the five events – Group A in women's singles, which features world number 1 (and world champion) Yamaguchi Akane of Japan, world number 2 and reigning Finals champion An Seyoung of Republic of Korea, and world number 4 (and Olympic champion) Chen Yufei of People's Republic of China.
On the first day, the former two will go head-to-head in a repeat of the 2022 World Championships semi-finals, when Yamaguchi triumphed in straight games.
Due to the rules governing match-ups, any players drawn into the same group as their national compatriots will also play each other on the opening day.
That means tantalising clashes between Jonatan Christie and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia in men's singles, Zhang Shuxian / Zheng Yu and Chen Qingchen / Jia Yifan of China in women's doubles, and Ratchanok Intanon and Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand in women's singles are also on the cards.
Men's singles world, Olympic, and defending Finals champion Viktor Axelsen starts against China's Lu Guangzu. And, last on Court 2, a men's doubles meeting between veteran "Daddies" Mohammad Ahsan / Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia and world champions Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia.
Schedule
Play begins at 11am local time.
Order of play - Court 1
- Women's doubles Group B - Zhang / Zheng Y (CHN) vs Chen QC / Jia (CHN)
- Women's doubles Group B - P Tan / Thinaah (MAS) vs Rahayu / Ramadhanti (INA)
- Mixed doubles Group B - Wang / Huang DP (CHN) vs Tan KM / Lai PJ (MAS)
- Men's singles Group B - Christie (INA) vs Ginting (INA)
- Women's singles Group B - Intanon (THA) vs Ongbamrungphan (THA)
- Women's singles Group A - An (KOR) vs Yamaguchi (JPN)
- Men's singles Group A - Prannoy (IND) vs Naraoka (JPN)
- Men's singles Group A - Axelsen (DEN) vs Lu (CHN)
- Men's doubles Group B - Liu / Ou (CHN) vs Astrup / Rasmussen (DEN)
- Mixed doubles Group A - Zheng SW / Huang YQ (CHN) vs Gicquel / Delrue (FRA)
Order of play - Court 2
- Mixed doubles Group B - Puavaranukroh / Taerattanachai (THA) vs Jomkoh / Paewsampran (THA)
- Women's singles Group B - Tai (TPE) vs He (CHN)
- Women's doubles Group A - Jeong / Kim HJ (KOR) vs Hoo / Lim (MAS)
- Women's singles Group A - Chen YF (CHN) vs Tunjung (INA)
- Men's doubles Group A - Alfian / Ardianto (INA) vs Choi / Kim WH (KOR)
- Women's doubles Group A - B Aimsaard / N Aimsaard (THA) vs Kititharakul / Prajongjai (THA)
- Men's singles Group B - Chou (TPE) vs Loh (SGP)
- Men's doubles Group A - Ong / Teo (MAS) vs Hoki / Kobayashi (JPN)
- Mixed doubles Group A - Goh / SJ Lai (MAS) vs Rivaldy / Mentari (INA)
- Mixed doubles Group B - Ahsan / Setiawan (INA) vs Chia / Soh (MAS)
Day 2 – Thursday 8 December: World and Olympic champions face off
Group A in women's singles delivers the headline match again on Day 2, with the Olympic champion Chen Yufei facing Japan's world champion Yamaguchi in a key meeting that could determine the entire fate of the group.
In men's singles, Group B has put together the world number 3 (Loh Kean Yew of Singapore), number 4 (Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei), and number 5 (Christie) – and today Christie plays Loh. With world number 2 Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia having not qualified from the tournament, all three of Loh, Chou, and Christie will have an eye on the number 2 ranking.
Schedule
Play begins at 11am local time.
Order of play - Court 1
- Women's singles Group A - An (KOR) vs Tunjung (INA)
- Women's doubles Group B - Zhang / Zheng Y (CHN) vs Rahayu / Ramadhanti (INA)
- Men's singles Group B - Chou (TPE) vs Ginting (INA)
- Mixed doubles Group B - Wang / Huang DP (CHN) vs Jomkoh / Paewsampran (THA)
- Women's doubles Group A - B Aimsaard / N Aimsaard (THA) vs Hoo / Lim (MAS)
- Mixed doubles Group B - Puavaranukroh / Taerattanachai (THA) vs Tan KM / Lai PJ (MAS)
- Women's singles Group B - Tai (TPE) vs Ongbamrungphan (THA)
- Women's doubles Group A - Jeong / Kim HJ (KOR) vs Kititharakul / Prajongjai (THA)
- Mixed doubles Group A - Goh / SJ Lai (MAS) vs Gicquel / Delrue (FRA)
- Women's singles Group B - He (CHN) vs Intanon (THA)
Order of play - Court 2
- Women's doubles Group B - Chen QC / Jia (CHN) vs P Tan / Thinaah (MAS)
- Women's singles Group A - Chen YF (CHN) vs Yamaguchi (JPN)
- Men's doubles Group A - Ong / Teo (MAS) vs Choi / Kim WH (KOR)
- Men's doubles Group A - Alfian / Ardianto (INA) vs Hoki / Kobayashi (JPN)
- Men's singles Group B - Christie (INA) vs Loh (SGP)
- Men's singles Group A - Prannoy (IND) vs Lu (CHN)
- Mixed doubles Group A - Zheng SW / Huang YQ (CHN) vs Rivaldy / Mentari (INA)
- Men's doubles Group B - Ahsan / Setiawan (INA) vs Astrup / Rasmussen (DEN)
- Men's singles Group A - Axelsen (DEN) vs Naraoka (JPN)
- Men's doubles Group B - Liu / Ou (CHN) vs Chia / Soh (MAS)
Day 3 – Friday 9 December: Axelsen faces dark horse Prannoy
India's H.S. Prannoy is ranked 12th in the world behind counterparts Lakhsya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth, but is the only man from his country in the Tour Finals after a successful season in which he finished runner-up at the Swiss Open and reached two other tour semi-finals.
On paper, that makes him the dark horse in a match-up against Axelsen in Group A of the men's singles. Axelsen holds a 5–1 career head-to-head record against the Indian, but an upset victory could turn the entire group around in the last set of round-robin matches.
Chou faces Christie in Group B with those world ranking points at stake, while Chen Yufei takes on An with semi-final qualification on the line in Group A of the women's singles.
Schedule
Order of play and assigned courts to be confirmed.
Matches:
- Men's singles Group A - Axelsen (DEN) vs Prannoy (IND), Naraoka (JPN) vs Lu (CHN)
- Men's singles Group B - Chou (TPE) vs Christie (INA), Ginting (INA) vs Loh (SGP)
- Women's singles Group A - Chen YF (CHN) vs An (KOR), Yamaguchi (JPN) vs Tunjung (INA)
- Women's singles Group B - Tai (TPE) vs Intanon (THA), He (CHN) vs Ongbamrungphan (THA)
- Men's doubles Group A - Alfian / Ardianto (INA) vs Ong / Teo (MAS), Hoki / Kobayashi (JPN) vs Choi / Kim WH (KOR)
- Men's doubles Group B - Ahsan / Setiawan (INA) vs Liu / Ou (CHN), Astrup / Rasmussen (DEN) vs Chia / Soh (MAS)
- Women's doubles Group A - Jeong / Kim HJ (KOR) vs B Aimsaard / N Aimsaard (THA), Kititharakul / Prajongjai (THA) vs Hoo / Lim (MAS)
- Women's doubles Group B - Zhang / Zheng Y (CHN) vs P Tan / Thinaah (MAS), Chen QC / Jia (CHN) vs Rahayu / Ramadhanti (INA)
- Mixed doubles Group A - Zheng SW / Huang YQ (CHN) vs Goh / SJ Lai (MAS), Rivaldy / Mentari (INA) vs Gicquel / Delrue (FRA)
- Mixed doubles Group B - Puavaranukroh / Taerattanachai (THA) vs Wang / Huang DP (CHN), Tan KM / Lai PJ (MAS) vs Jomkoh / Paewsampran (THA)
Day 4 – Saturday 10 December: Semi-finals
The round-robin is over and the top two from each group will have qualified for the weekend's semi-finals.
Of note, it would be a surprise if Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong were not still involved at this stage of the mixed doubles competition. Zheng and Huang have qualified for the semi-finals in all nine of their Tour events this year – and all 11 of their major international tournaments, including the World Championships and Asian Championships.
Schedule
Draw to be conducted at the end of play on Day 3. Start time to be announced.
- Men's singles semi-finals
- Women's singles semi-finals
- Men's doubles semi-finals
- Women's doubles semi-finals
- Mixed doubles semi-finals
Day 5 – Sunday 11 December: Season concludes with finals day
The last day of the badminton season is upon us. Five final matches to determine the BWF World Tour Finals champions will take place on Sunday, before the athletes head home for a period of rest ahead of starting it all again in January.
Schedule
Order of play to be confirmed after Day 4. Start time to be announced.
- Men's singles final
- Women's singles final
- Men's doubles final
- Women's doubles final
- Mixed doubles final
BWF World Tour Finals 2022 – How to watch and follow
The tournament will be broadcast by various television and digital live streaming rights holders across the different countries and territories around the world.
That includes Olympic Channel via Olympics.com, for free, in some countries (territorial restrictions may apply).
If you are unable to find a screen, be sure to follow our coverage on Olympics.com and follow @olympics on social media to stay abreast of all the results and news from the Badminton World Tour Finals 2022.