The countdown is on until Oceania’s only HSBC World Tour event. The SATHIO GROUP Australian Badminton Open returns to Sydney on 9 June. The Super 500 competition will run at Quaycentre through 14 June, and with several of the world’s top players set to compete, along with several familiar Oceania faces returning to the court, there’s no shortage of intriguing storylines.
Headliners and Favourites
In the men’s singles, Chou Tien Chen headlines the field, alongside compatriot Lin Chun-Yi. Last year’s runner-up, Yushi Tanaka, returns to Australia and no doubt will be looking to go one step further in 2026.
Yamaguchi returns to Sydney following her recent runner-up finish at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2026. Photo via BWF/Badminton Photo.
Three-time WS World Champion, Akane Yamaguchi makes her first Australian Open appearance since 2017. With Pursala V. Sindhu, Pornpawee Chochuwong, and Nozomi Okuhara rounding out the top seeds, we are set for intense matchups on court.
Both 2025 MD champions, Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin and finalists, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri will return to the court, alongside Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang, Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani, and Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yu.
World No. 4, Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian enter the competition as top seeds in the WD. They will be joined by Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Pei Shan/Hung En-Tzu and Lin Jhih Yun/Hsu Yin-Hui. Bulgarian sister duo, Stefani and Gabriela Stoeva complete the seeded field.
In the mixed doubles, 2023 champions Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping will be seeking another trophy as they start the tournament as the top seeds. However, they will likely be challenged by fellow Chinese pair, Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui, Thailand’s Ruttanapak Oupthong/Jhenicha Sudakaipraparat, and Chinese Taipei’s Yang Po-Hsuan/Hu Ling Fang.
Oceania Players Ready To Make Their Mark
As the only HSBC World Tour event in our region, the Australian Open provides our players a rare opportunity to compete under the lights against the best in the world.
The names shaking up the draw are in the women’s doubles. Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu (AUS) will join forces once again. The pair last played together in 2024, and Mapasa announced her retirement in early 2025. However, it’s clear she still has more to give on court. In their first international outing together since the Paris 2024 Olympics, Mapasa/Yu will look to replicate their magic from 2024. That year they ended a long drought to become the first Australians in 15-years to play in the semifinals of the Australian Open. No doubt the crowd will get behind them every step of the way.
Other notable Oceania players in the women’s doubles main draw are the Tjonadi sisters, Sydney and Victoria (AUS); Gronya Somerville (AUS), who is playing with Canada’s Josephine Wu; Nozomi Shimizu/Laudya Chelsea Griselda (AUS); Jazmine Lam/Yee-Yuan Lim (AUS); and Lillian Cao (NZL)/Yuran Zhang (AUS).
In a trans-Tasman partnership, Dylan Soedjasa (NZL)/Michael Owen (AUS) are one of three Oceania duos in the men’s doubles main draw. Australia’s Rizky Hidayat, who made a strong impression at this year’s VICTOR Oceania Championships, will play alongside longtime partner Frengky Wijaya Putra (AUS). The young duo of Phillip Halim/Landon Kurniawan round out the Oceania partnerships, while Zewei Xie (AUS) will partner with England’s Wang Yue Hang.
Shaunna Li currently holds the only Oceania representative in qualifying in the women’s singles. However, players such as Faye Huo (AUS) and Amy Wang (NZL) could still be promoted if any withdrawals occur before the start of play.
In the men’s singles, Edward Lau (NZL) is the lone Oceania athlete in qualifying. However, Australian and Kiwi players are at the top of the reserve list, meaning they could get a last-minute call up into the tournament.
Ramadiansyah/Shimizu shook up the Australian Open last year. Photo via BWF/Badminton Photo.
Four Australian pairs will begin their Australian Open campaigns in the main draw of the mixed doubles. Andika Ramadiansyah/Nozomi Shimizu produced an upset last year when they defeated seventh seeds Hoo Pang Ron/Cheng Su Yin. Joining them in the draw are Rio Agustino/Priska Kustiadi, Frederick Zhao/Jazmine Lam, and Timotius Elbert/Sylvina Kurniawan. Kiwi duo Edward Lau/Shaunna Li are also in the main draw, along with Jane Gao (AUS), who will partner with Indonesia’s Rinov Rivaldy.
With several Oceania mixed doubles pairs in qualifying, it would not be unreasonable to expect some to progress further into the competition.
Above all, this tournament offers a valuable opportunity for our top players to gain experience on the biggest stage our region has to offer. It shapes as a week of high-level competition and key opportunities for Oceania players.
Below are all the Oceania players currently in the main and qualifying draws (as of 3 June 2026)
Women’s SinglesQualifying – Shaunna LI (NZL) |
Men’s SinglesQualifying – Edward LAU (NZL) |
Men’s DoublesMain Draw Dylan SOEDJASA (NZL)/Michael OWEN (AUS) Zewei XIE (AUS)/WANG Yue Hang (ENG) Rizky HIDAYAT/Frengky Wijaya PUTRA (AUS) Phillip HALIM/Landon Hosea KURNIAWAN (AUS)
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Qualifying Kanki IGAWA/OOI Yi Hern (AUS) Andika RAMADIANSYAH/Frederick ZHAO (AUS) Roshan RAJKUMAR (AUS)/Steven STALLWOOD (ENG) Rio AGUSTINO/Timotius ELBERT (AUS) Jie Ying CHAN/Ting-Yuan KUO (AUS) Chauncey YU/Jordan WANG (AUS) Forrest HUANG/Minh Trung Faris TRUONG (AUS) |
Women’s DoublesMain Draw Jazmine LAM/Yee-Yuan LIM (AUS) Nozomi SHIMIZU/Laudya Chelsea GRISELDA (AUS) Gronya SOMERVILLE (AUS)/Josephine WU (CAN) Angela YU/Setyana MAPASA (AUS) Yuran ZHANG (AUS)/Lillian CAO (NZL) Sydney TJONADI/Victoria TJONADI (AUS) |
Qualifying Helen CHAN/Shixin HAN (AUS) Jesslyn CARRISIA/Faye HUO (AUS) Kishen LEW/Victoria LI (AUS) Smrithi ADEPU/lsabella YAN (AUS) Ava WONG/Sai Tanvi MUSHINI (AUS) Maureen Clarissa WIJAYA/Priska KUSTIADI (AUS) Jesamine DONALD/Kanon MORI (AUS) |
Mixed DoublesMain Draw Andika RAMADIANSYAH/Nozomi SHIMIZU (AUS) Edward LAU/Shaunna LI (NZL) Rio AGUSTINO/Priska KUSTIADI (AUS) Rinov RIVALDY (IND)/Jane GAO (AUS) Frederick ZHAO/Jazmine LAM (AUS) Timotius ELBERT/Sylvina KURNIAWAN (AUS) |
Qualifying Jayden LIM/Victoria TJONADI (AUS) Rizky HIDAYAT/Laudya Chelsea GRISELDA (AUS) Michael OWEN/Gronya SOMERVILLE (AUS) Dylan SOEDJASA/Justine VILLEGAS (NZL) Landon Hosea KURNIAWAN (AUS)/Jasmine YEUNG (USA) Minh Trung Faris TRUONG/Jesamine DONALD (AUS) |
The full seeding report can be found here.
Photos via BWF/Badminton Photo.
