These champions who have marked the history of the French tournament

On the courts of the Île-de-France tournament, LEE Chong Wei (Malaysia) has long reigned supreme. The Malaysian player won his first title there in 2007, at a time when the tournament, already one of the most competitive on the circuit, served as a stepping stone to the Olympic qualifications for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He dominates in the final the Chinese BAO Chunlai 21/11 21/14, without losing a single set of the tournament. A success and a performance that immediately installs it as one of the references of this appointment.

The native of Bagan Serai won again at Coubertin in 2011, where he then won seven titles that season as world number 1. He defeated the Japanese Kenichi TAGO in the final by two sets 21/15 21/11. He then waits for 2015 to win a third crown, at 33 years old, by winning the decisive match against the current world number 4 CHOU Tien Chen (Taipei). But the Parisian lair has also had more difficult episodes, with a withdrawal due to injury in 2016 and a surprise elimination in the first round in 2017 against the Japanese KENTA NISHIMOTO 21/14 21/15.

Three titles at the Internationaux de France (2007, 2011 and 2015), won over nearly a decade, which sum up LEE Chong Wei’s commitment to this tournament. A meeting where he was able, three times and at key moments of his career, to rise to the top.

In 2019, at only 17 years old and just for her second year in the professional world, the Korean gem AN Se Young caused a sensation by winning her first tournament at Yonex IFB. She managed to overcome the former Spanish world number 1, Carolina MARIN 16/21 21/18 21/5. After 4 titles this season, it is the first Super 750 of his record, a turning point in his young career.

She returns to win on the French courts for a second title in 2024, year when the tournament exceptionally relocates to the adidas arena, she triumphs over the Japanese Akane YAMAGUCHI 18/21 21/13 21/10 despite a painful knee that has disabled her throughout the week.

In Rennes, in 2025, the competition smiled on him again, at the Glaz Arena this time where AN Se Young won a third title, dominating his great Chinese rival WANG Zhi Yi in the final 21/13 21/7. Three coronations in six years that accompany the major stages of her ascent with the revelation, confirmation, and affirmation of an athlete who has become the best player in the world in her category! A new participation this year could well offer him the opportunity to add a new line to his list of achievements.

Finalists in 2019, Satwiksairaj RANKIREDDY and Chirag SHETTY reach a milestone in 2022 by winning their first major title at the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium, against Taipei pair LU Ching Yao and YANG Po Han 21/13 21/19, which directly places them as one of the most promising pairs at that time.

Two years later, in March 2024, at the adidas arena, future Olympic badminton venue, "SatChi" returns to success by dominating with authority another duo from Taipei, LEE Jhe-Huei and YANG Po-Hsuan 21/11 21/17.

With two titles at the Internationaux de France, in 2022 and 2024, the duo RANKIREDDY/SHETTY who likes to put on a show, has become the darling of French audiences. The Indians have made this tournament one of their favorite events, with perhaps a return this year for a third success.

It all started in 2016 when the CHEN pair Qing Chen/JIA Yi Fan, still a young start on the circuit, won their first joint title on the French courts, only two years after they were associated, against the Korean pair CHANG Yeoui Na/LEE So Hee 21/16 21/17. A founding victory, in a career that would very quickly fly to world summits.

Eight years later, in March 2024, the loop is almost cinematically completed. The Yonex IFB exceptionally relocate to the adidas arena to serve as a dress rehearsal before the summer of 2024. At the end of a thrilling final, the Chinese duo saved five matches to win a second title at the French Open against Japanese MATSUYAMA/SHIDA.

In October 2025, it was in Rennes that CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan played their very last international outing together, losing in the semi-finals to their compatriots LI Yijing and LUO Xumin. A farewell that closes the loop on this same competition that had seen them hatch.

The Chinese duo won a first joint title in 2018, as soon as their second year together, by winning at Coubertin against the Korean duo SEO / CHAE 21/19 21/14. A victory that confirms their status as a rising pair.

Four years later, in 2022, ZHENG and HUANG are back to win on these same courts, this time as the world’s number one pair.  In a final that delighted all the badminton fans present, they beat the Dutch Robin TABELING and Selena PIEK 21/16 14/21 22/20. Between these two crowns, the pair experienced a disappointment in the final of the Yonex IFB 2019, lost against the Indonesian duo Praveen JORDAN and Melati Daeva OKTAVIANTI 24/22 16/21 12/21.

France inevitably has a special flavor for ZHENG Si Wei and HUANG Ya Qiong, who, in addition to their two titles at the Internationaux de France (2018, 2022), win the Olympic Games on Parisian soil in 2024.