Four Mixed Doubles Teams to Watch:
The 2020 Olympic Medalists and the Pair from Thailand

Yuta WATANABE / Arisa HIGASHINO (Japan)

Yuta WATANABE and Arisa HIGASHINO brought home Japan’s only badminton medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when they won the bronze medal match in mixed doubles. Their exciting performance converted many viewers into fans of this unique event.

In a competitive mixed doubles team, the woman fearlessly charges forward, undaunted by the powerful shots of their male opponent, while the man displays almost infinite stamina as he covers almost as much ground as a singles player to hit smash after smash. The key to victory lies in how a team breaks up the dynamic that results from this formation, with the woman commanding the front court and the man occupying the rear.

The Front Runners: Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong

Zheng Si Wei / Huang Ya Qiong (China)

At the upcoming 2022 BWF World Championships, the Tokyo Olympic medalists are once again poised to take a dominant role in the strategy-heavy battle that is mixed doubles. Two-time world champions ZHENG Si Wei and HUANG Ya Qiong of China, the silver medalists at Tokyo, are widely seen as the favorites.

The pair suffered an unexpected loss in the Olympic final to WANG Yi Lyu and HUANG Dong Ping, also of China, whom they had beat 12 times in their 14 faceoffs. Zheng and Huang took four months off after this defeat, then reappeared on the world stage at the World Championships last December. They have participated in six tournaments since May and have proven their unparalleled prowess by winning them all.

WANG Yi Lyu / HUANG Dong Ping (China)

If they are crowned world champions for the third time, they will tie the record set by the London 2012 Olympic champions, ZHANG Nan and ZHAO Yunlei of China.

Zheng and Huang will no doubt be fired up to clinch the victory that eluded them at the Tokyo Olympics, but Wang and Huang, who still top the World Tour rankings, will also be looking to prove their mettle as Olympic gold medalists.

Watanabe and Higashino Seek Japan’s First Gold

The two teams from China may be preparing to destroy the competition, but Olympic bronze medalists Watanabe and Higashino—as well as the 2021 world champions, Dechapol PUAVARANUKROH and Sapsiree TAERATTANACHAI of Thailand—are also eyeing the gold. The Japanese and Thai teams, both known for their quick playing style, are equally matched in skill.

Puavaranukroh and Taerattanachai may have defeated the Japanese team in last year’s final to take home their first World Championship title, but Watanabe and Higashino came out on top in their rematch at the semifinals of the All England Open in March. After advancing to the final, Watanabe’s control of the shuttlecock’s speed and Higashino’s bold push shots helped the pair take down WANG Yi Lyu and HUANG Dong Ping.

We’ll see whether the support of their Japanese fans will help Watanabe and Higashino recreate their success in England and win the World Championships. Mixed doubles is the only World Championship event that has never been won by a Japanese team, so they are no doubt hoping to topple this final barrier.

Other contenders for the title include veterans TANG Chun Man and TSE Ying Suet (Hong Kong China), who won bronze in 2021, as well as SEO Seung Jae and KANG Min Hyuk of Korea and Praveen JORDAN and Melati Daeva OKTAVIANTI of Indonesia. Each of these teams has more than enough talent to advance through to the finals.

The other Japanese teams competing in this event are Kyohei YAMASHITA and Naru SHINOYA, who also won bronze in 2021; All-Japan champions Hiroki MIDORIKAWA and Natsu SAITO; and Misaki MATSUTOMO, one half of the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic gold-winning team in women’s doubles, who is partnered with Yuki KANEKO.