On November 29, 2022, the Badminton World Federation released the latest world rankings, revealing ongoing shifts across all five disciplines as points continue to be unlocked. The most significant change occurred in the mixed doubles event, where Thailand's Dechapol/Pitchyao reclaimed the top spot, claiming the new world No. 1 ranking. Meanwhile, China’s dominant men’s doubles duo Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong dropped to third place after losing points earned from their silver-medal performance at the Tokyo Olympics. Among all five disciplines, only China’s women’s doubles pair remains firmly at the summit of the rankings.
This week's world rankings will serve as the qualifying benchmark for the BWF World Tour Super 1000 Malaysia Open in the 2023 season, so any changes in position could directly impact seeding and draw placement. As the BWF points system continues to thaw, several Chinese badminton players are still feeling the lingering effects of their limited participation in international tournaments during the 2021 season, leading to fluctuating rankings—most notably in mixed doubles. Although the Zheng/Huang (Yi-Long) pair has dominated this season by clinching nine major titles, they’ve yet to secure the No. 1 spot in the world rankings. This is largely due to their biggest rivals, the Thai duo, who swept seven consecutive tournament victories last November and December, firmly cementing their dominance at the top of the standings.
In the men's singles eventThe Chinese badminton team's five players all ranked within the top 32, meaning they’ll all be able to compete at next January’s Malaysia Open. Among them, Lu Guangzu is No. 17, Zhao Junpeng No. 18, Li Shifeng No. 26, Shi Yuqi No. 30, and Weng Hongyang No. 32. Meanwhile, in the men’s singles top 10 rankings, the top five remain unchanged: Antonsen, Lee Zii Jia, Loh Kean Yew, Chou Tien Chen, and Jonatan sit in the first five spots. Lakshya Sen has moved up to sixth place, surpassing Anders Antonsen, while Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Kento Momota are seventh and eighth, respectively, with Viktor Axelsen dropping to tenth.
On the women's singles frontChen Yufei has dropped to fourth place in the rankings after losing her Tokyo Olympics title points, allowing Chinese Taipei's top player Tai Tzu-ying to surpass her and reclaim the No. 1 spot. Meanwhile, Akane Yamaguchi and An Se-young remain firmly at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. He Bingjiao continues to hold fifth position, Wang Zhiyi is eighth, Han Yue sits at No. 12, Zhang Yiman ranks 20th, and Gao Fangjie occupies 122nd place.
In the men's doubles event, China's four men's doubles pairs remain unchanged in the rankings: Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi stay at No. 11, Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang are ranked 20th, He Jiting/Zhou Haodong hold steady at No. 24, and Ren Xiangyu/Tan Qiang drop to No. 33.
In the women's doubles eventChen Qingchen/Jia Yifan remain firmly at the top of the rankings, while Zhang Shuxian/Zheng Yu climb one spot to seventh place, Du Yue/Li Wenmei move up one position to 11th, and Liu Xuanxuan/Xia Yuting jump two spots to 18th.
In mixed doublesSignificant changes have occurred: The IELTS duo Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong were docked substantial points, allowing their competitors to surpass them in the rankings. As a result, Thailand's Dechapol/Sapsiree have moved straight back to the top spot, reclaiming the world No. 1 position after dropping to third earlier. Meanwhile, Japan’s double-headed team Watanabe Yuta/Higashino Arisa remain at No. 2, while the IELTS pair has slipped to third. The "Yellow Duck" duo Wang Yilyu/Huang Dongping continue in fourth place. Notably, Guo Xinwa/Zhang Shuxian dropped one spot to No. 43, and Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping stay put at No. 53.
