Antonsen Out, Denmark Medal-less At Badminton Worlds

Antonsen fails at Worlds

Denmark fail to meet objectives in New Delhi as Antonsen crashes out. Denmark fail to win Medal at World Championships.

Naraoka downs Antonsen 21-19, 21-15 To end Danish hopes at Worlds...  

It was a day to forget for Denmark in New Delhi as Anders Antonsen, their last hope at the World Championships, was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Japan’s Kodai Naraoka 19-21, 15-21.  

World No.4  Anders Antonsen bowed out in straight sets, losing 19-21, 15-21 to Japan’s Naraoka in the last eight.

Antonsen looked off the pace from the outset and struggled to find his best. Naraoka made the sharper start as the Dane coughed up unforced errors, allowing the Japanese to race to a 7-2 lead that soon became 11-4.  

Trailing 11-17 in the first game, Antonsen sparked a late fightback. He won four points in a row to cut it to 15-17 and later got within one at 17-18, but the comeback fell short.  

But comeback stalled. Two shots from Antonsen sailed long, giving Naraoka a 20-17 lead and three set points. Antonsen saved one after a gruelling 48-shot rally to make it 19-20, but couldn’t convert the next and handed over the set.  

Naraoka opened the second set with a 4-1 lead, but Antonsen responded well. He lifted his level to flip the score and went ahead 8-5.  

The advantage didn’t last. Naraoka won five points in a row to go 10-8 up, and Antonsen was back on the defensive. 

BWF World Championships 2026
MS - QF
21 21 🇯🇵Kodai NARAOKA🥇

19 15 🇩🇰Anders ANTONSEN

🕚 in 54 minutes

— BWFScore (@BWFScore) August 21, 2026

Antonsen never really found his rhythm. Naraoka kept frustrating him by retrieving everything, and the Dane couldn’t put rallies away. Down 14–17, Antonsen looked to have run out of gas as he tried one last push.

On the day, Naraoka was simply a class above. Antonsen couldn’t match him, and with his exit, Denmark’s World Championships campaign ends without a medal.