Why Jonatan Christie Could Become BWF No. 1 After World Championship Loss

August 24, 2026 | 01:39 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie is poised to become the world’s top-ranked men’s singles badminton player when the Badminton World Federation (BWF) releases its latest rankings on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

The expected rise comes despite Jonatan’s early exit from the 2026 BWF World Championships, where he was eliminated in the round of 16 by Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke.

So, how can Jonatan reach No. 1 without winning the World Championships?

The answer lies in how the BWF rankings are calculated and the performances of his main rivals.

How the BWF World Ranking Works

According to CNN Indonesia, the BWF world rankings are based on a player’s results from their 10 best tournaments over the previous 52 weeks, rather than solely on their performance at the most recent tournament.

A player can therefore gain or lose ranking points depending on how their results compare with those from the same tournaments a year earlier.

Jonatan has accumulated significant points in the past year after improving on his results at several tournaments.

At the Malaysia Open 2025, Jonatan was eliminated in the first round, but he reached the semifinals at the 2026 edition.

He also improved from a semifinal finish at the 2025 India Open to reaching the final in 2026. At the 2026 Indonesia Open, he again reached the final after exiting in the second round the previous year.

Another improvement came at the China Open, where Jonatan reached the quarterfinals in 2026 after being eliminated in the second round in 2025.

These improved results have helped offset points he lost from tournaments where he performed worse than he did the previous year.

At the 2026 World Championships, for example, Jonatan reached only the round of 16 after making the quarterfinals in 2025.

However, his overall gains have outweighed his losses.

Jonatan also continues to hold points from his titles at the Denmark Open, Hylo Open and Korea Open in 2025, as those tournaments have either not yet taken place in 2026 or their results still fall within the 52-week ranking period.

Jonatan’s Expected Ranking Points

The projected BWF rankings put Jonatan at around 87,631 points, enough to move him up two places to No. 1.

France’s Christo Popov is projected to rank second with approximately 87,002 points, leaving only a narrow gap between the two players.

The final standings, however, will only be confirmed when the BWF officially publishes its Week 35 rankings on Tuesday.

Rivals’ Results Open the Door

Jonatan’s expected rise is not only the result of his own performances. The struggles of several leading rivals have also helped clear the path to No. 1.

Former world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China is expected to fall sharply after losing in the first round of the World Championships.

As reported by CNN, Shi was beaten by India’s Ayush Shetty in the round of 64. Because Shi entered the tournament as the defending world champion, his early elimination resulted in a significant loss of ranking points.

Other leading contenders also failed to make the most of the tournament.

Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan lost to Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in the semifinals, ending his hopes of overtaking Jonatan.

Meanwhile, players including Popov, Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Denmark’s Anders Antonsen also failed to produce results strong enough to prevent Jonatan from moving to the top.

Jonatan Could End Indonesia’s 26-Year Wait

If confirmed, Jonatan’s promotion would mark a historic moment for Indonesian men’s singles badminton.

Indonesia has not had a men’s singles player at No. 1 in the BWF world rankings since Taufik Hidayat, meaning Jonatan could end a 26-year wait for an Indonesian player to reclaim the top spot.

Jonatan’s own World Championship campaign ended on August 20, when he lost 21-11, 13-21, 18-21 to Gemke in the round of 16.

He had made a strong start by taking the opening game 21-11, but Gemke fought back to win the next two games and eliminate the Indonesian.

Despite that defeat, Jonatan’s improved results across the past year, combined with the loss of ranking points by his rivals, have put him on course to become the new world No. 1.

The challenge, however, will be keeping the position.

With only a relatively small points gap separating the leading players, Jonatan will need strong results over the next three months to defend his place at the top.

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