Badminton 

 HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Thuỳ Linh is the only Vietnamese representative seeking high result at the 2026 All England Open, world oldest badminton tournament, in March.

Following the draw, Linh, currently world No 21, will face Line Christophersen of Denmark in the first round. The match is seen as a favorable one for the Vietnamese champion, as Christophersen, ranked No 24, has previously lost to Linh twice.

The first one was at the Italian International in 2017 and the second one was at the Malaysia Masters last year with same score of 2-1.

In case of winning, Linh will face the winner of the match between No 31 Yeo Jia Min of Singapore and No 7 Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the second round.

It is the third straight time that Linh is to compete in this tournament. She failed to advance to the second round in both two previous events.

In preparation for this year’s event, Linh warmed up with matches in the Indian Open and Indonesia Masters in early 2026 before deciding to skip the ongoing German Open, where she is the reigning silver medalist, as well as last week’s Thailand Masters.

The All England Open 2026 will be held from March 3-8 at the Utilita Arena, in Birmingham. First held in 1899, the Super-1,000-leveled tournament is one of four elite events in the world.

A total of US$1,450,000 money prize makes the All England a key event of the year of all professional badminton players. — VNS