BWF World Championships 2026: ‘The wisest thing to do’: Anders Antonsen sticks to game-by-game approach

Anders Antonsen has no intention of getting carried away despite a major reshuffle in the men’s singles draw at the BWF World Championships. With several elite players already out of the competition, Antonsen is through to the quarterfinals after another demanding victory and is now preparing for a familiar challenge in Japan’s Kodai Naraoka. But rather than changing his approach because the draw has opened up, the Dane believes the smartest thing to do is keep things simple. “I think that would be the wisest thing to do. Stick to game by game and then see how far it can bring you,” Antonsen said after his win.

Antonsen had endured a gruelling 100-minute battle the previous day, but his next match against Toma Junior Popov was a completely different test. “Today’s match was super different from yesterday’s match. This one was way more like fast-paced, flat play,” he said. “Toma is really good in that type of game and that's what he tried to do. So yeah, way more like fast play on the right.” The Dane was able to negotiate that challenge and now has little time to recover before facing Naraoka in the last eight.

The Japanese shuttler is a familiar opponent, but Antonsen does not believe that past meetings give either player a clear advantage. “It’s a 50-50 match. We know each other very well. I have won, he has won many times. So we’ll see,” Antonsen said. The quarterfinal will also mark the first meeting between the two in some time, something Antonsen is looking forward to. “Always fun and anxious against him. And it's been a long time since we played against each other so I'm looking forward to it,” he said.

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With the World Championships reaching the business end, recovery has become just as important as preparation. Antonsen, however, is not planning any drastic changes to his routine. “Just sticking to whatever I do. Try to relax in between matches, get a massage, stretch, maybe some cold crunch for the body and stuff,” he said. Mental adjustments are equally important for Antonsen. When he finds himself trailing during a match, his focus is on constant evaluation rather than panic. “Constantly trying to analyse what's going on. What's going a little wrong now compared to earlier in the match and what can we change. That's constant evaluation,” he explained.

That approach will be crucial against Naraoka, one of the players renowned for his ability to extend rallies and test an opponent physically and mentally. For Antonsen, however, there is no reason to overcomplicate the challenge. The draw may have become more open, but his philosophy remains unchanged: take it one match at a time. And with Naraoka standing between him and a place in the World Championships semifinals, the Dane knows there is little to separate the two. “It’s a 50-50 match.”