BWF World Tour Finals 2022: Can Viktor Axelsen and An Se-young retain titles? How to watch live and schedule

Who will finish the badminton season on a high? That's the question facing 40 of the world's best singles players and doubles pairs at the BWF World Tour Finals 2022 in Bangkok.

With the tournament only open to the top eight players or pairs in the annual tour rankings, and not the world rankings, and with the format of the tournament featuring a group stage, there is ample opportunity for a surprise winner in any of the five events.

Or, perhaps, familiar faces such as defending champions Viktor Axelsen, An Se-young, Hoki Takuro / Kobyashi Yugo, and Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Sapsiree Taerattanachai will come up tops once more. Only in women's doubles are the defending champions not present.

Here's what you should know about the event and how to follow it.

When and where are the 2022 BWF World Tour Finals taking place?

The 2022 Finals will be held 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.

Originally, Guangzhou, China, had been due to host the 2022 BWF World Tour Finals, but withdrew as hosts earlier this month due to "various challenges brought about by the current pandemic situation", a statement released at the time said.

Competition will start with group stage matches on Wednesday 7 December and end with the five finals on Sunday 11 December.

Athletes to watch at badminton World Tour Finals 2022

Men's singles

Qualifiers: Viktor Axelsen (DEN), Chou Tien-chen (TPE), HS Prannoy (IND), Jonatan Christie (INA), Naraoka Kodai (JPN), Lu Guangzu (CHN), Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (INA), Loh Kean Yew (SGP)

Axelsen, the world and Olympic champion, is the defending champion from Bali in 2021 and the strong favourite to continue his dominant 2022.

The Dane has picked up eight titles this year, including five World Tour event victories, and will be hard to dethrone. However, behind him, the worlds number three, four, and five – Loh, Chou and Christie respectively – could all move up in the world rankings past Malaysia's absent Lee Zii Jia, which could serve as motivation for them.

And Naraoka has been a revelation on tour this year, with a Vietnam Open triumph to his name.

Women's singles

Qualifiers: Chen Yufei (CHN), Tai Tzu-ying (TPE), He Bingjiao (CHN), An Se-young (KOR), Ratchanok Intanon (THA), Busanan Ongbamrungphan (THA), Yamaguchi Akane (JPN), Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (INA)

The withdrawal of India's P.V. Sindhu through injury does nothing to dilute the field in women's singles, with all the names capable of producing something special on the day.

The Republic of Korea's An, the world number 2, is the defending champion – but will have world champion Yamaguchi, former world number 1 Tai, and Olympic champion Chen all breathing down her neck. Both Chen and Tai are former winners of the World Tour Finals, in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Expect vociferous home support for both Ratchanok and Busanan too.

Men's doubles

Qualifiers: Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Rian Ardianto (INA), Mohammad Ahsan / Hendra Setiawan (INA), Ong Yew Sin / Teo Ee Yi (MAS), Liu Yuchen / Ou Xuanyi (CHN), Kim Astrup / Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (DEN), Hoki Takuro / Kobayashi Yugo (JPN), Choi Sol-gyu / Kim Won-ho (KOR), Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik (MAS)

Japan's Hoki and Kobayashi are not only the defending champions, they are also the world number one pairing. But Alfian and Ardianto have had a breakthrough year on tour, while Chia and Soh are the world champions.

The "Daddies" Ahsan and Setiawan and the Danish duo of Astrup / Rasmussen are veterans on the circuit too.

It all makes for an extremely open contest in this category.

Women's doubles

Qualifiers: Jeong Na-eun / Kim Hye-jeong (KOR), Zhang Shuxian / Zheng Yu (CHN), Benyapa Aimsaard / Nuntakarn Aimsaard (THA), Chen Qingchen / Jia Yifan (CHN), Jonkolphan Kititharakul / Rawinda Prajongjai (THA), Vivian Hoo / Lim Chiew Sien (MAS), Pearly Tan / Thinaah Muralitharan (MAS), Apriyani Rahayu / Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (INA)

Perhaps the most unpredictable category in Bangkok is the women's doubles. World number two pair Matsuyama Nami and Shida Chiharu have withdrawn due to injury, and defending champs Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong failed to qualify.

That leaves the Chinese pair of Chen / Jia as the top duo from the world rankings – they are the world number one team – while the top three teams in the tour rankings have all enjoyed breakthrough years.

The Aimsaard sisters from Thailand may well be able to ride the wave of home support to victory in an interesting field.

Mixed doubles

Qualifiers: Zheng Siwei / Huang Yaqiong (CHN), Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Sapsiree Taerattanachai (THA), Wang Yilyu / Huang Dongping (CHN), Goh Soon Huat / Shevon Jemie Lai (MAS), Tan Kian Meng / Lai Pei Jing (MAS), Rinov Rivaldy / Pitha Haningtyas Mentari (INA), Thom Gicquel / Delphine Delrue (FRA), Supak Jomkoh / Supissara Paewsampran (THA)

Much like Axelsen in men's singles, Zheng and Huang have dominated the season in mixed doubles. They have reached the semi-finals in every single one of their tournaments in 2022, and won all but two (being eliminated at the last four at the Japan Open and All England Open).

They are the pair to beat, even if world number ones Dechapol and Sapsiree have the home fans behind them.

Wang and Huang, at world number four, are the next-highest-ranked team.

Schedule for 2022 World Tour Finals

Exact timings and match-ups will be announced after the group stage draw takes place on Monday.

Monday 5 December

• Group stage draw

Wednesday 7 December

• Group stage match 1

Thursday 8 December

• Group stage match 2

Friday 9 December

• Group stage match 3
• Followed by knockout stage draw

Saturday 10 December

• Semi-finals

Sunday 11 December

• Finals

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.