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Dr. Claudia Pauli
Press Relations Officer
YONEX German Open
Top stars of the badminton scene visit the Ruhr region
The 67th German Open Badminton Championships will be held from February 24 to March 1, 2026, in Mülheim an der Ruhr (North Rhine-Westphalia).
Crowd favorites Christo and Toma Junior Popov from France, who are both making waves in two disciplines on the international tournament circuit, the Danish medal contenders in men's doubles, Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, the 2021 Olympic champion and reigning world championship runner-up in women's singles from China, as well as the top three players in the world rankings in mixed doubles: Numerous world-class players have registered for the YONEX German Open Badminton Championships in Mülheim an der Ruhr again this year.
The German men's doubles pair Kenneth Neumann (right) and Malik Bourakkadi in their first match
For example, eleven athletes currently ranked in the top 20 of the world rankings plan to compete in the men's singles. In the women's singles, twelve badminton stars from the top 20 have announced their participation—including five players who are among the top ten athletes in the world according to the BWF World Ranking. The men's doubles also features an equal number of top-10 pairs, including the 2024 Olympic silver medalists from China and the two-time Olympic bronze medalists from Malaysia. The women's doubles competition is led by the four-time European champions from Bulgaria, while the mixed doubles could see a rematch of the final at the 2025 HSBC BWF World Tour Finals, in which the current world number one and two (both from China) faced each other.
... “We are delighted that the field of participants is so strong again this year. This shows once again that the world’s best players appreciate the organization and atmosphere at the YONEX German Open. I am sure that we will once again see fantastic performances over the six days of the event,” says tournament director Tamara Geeraerts, looking forward to the 67th German International Badminton Championships.
The event, which will be held at the Westenergie Sporthalle from February 24 to March 1, 2026,
marks the start of the first tournament series in Europe on the HSBC BWF World Tour: From the Ruhr region, the athletes will travel to events in England, Switzerland,
and France. In addition to important points for the world ranking and, for example, for qualification for the 2026 Individual World Championships in India, the "HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300" tournament offers a prize pool of US$250,000 this year—even more than in 2025.
According to the first version of the so-called "Main & Qualifying Report" (dated January 23, 2026), at the most important tournament for the German Badminton Association (DBV), the local players in the women's singles, men's singles, and women's doubles are each guaranteed a starting place, while in the men's doubles, two pairs from Germany and in the mixed doubles, three pairs from Germany will be allowed to compete in front of their home fans. Should there be any last-minute cancellations in the current field of participants, additional German athletes and pairs could move up from the reserve list into the qualifying rounds. The final field of participants will only be determined after the Team Managers' Meeting, which will be held the day before the tournament begins.
Information on the schedule for the YONEX German Open 2026 and on ticket sales is available on the event website at www.german-open-badminton.de.www.german-open-badminton.deThe link to the ticket shop can also be found there. Tickets can again only be purchased online before the start of the tournament. During the week of the event, a ticket office will be set up at the Westenergie Sports Hall where remaining tickets will be available.
YONEX will be the main and title sponsor of the German Open Badminton Championships for the 38th consecutive year in 2026. The YONEX German Open is also supported by Westenergie, the naming sponsor of the venue. The prestigious tournament premiered in Bonn in 1955. The city of Mülheim an der Ruhr will host the event for the 26th time in its history in 2026.
Further information: www.german-open-badminton.de
