Badminton tournament changes: World Championships and five Super 1000s to be held over 11 days in group and elimination format

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3 min readUpdated: Feb 9, 2026 04:19 PM IST

From 2027 onwards, the number of TV-produced badminton matches will double from 1,410 to approximately 3,000 across all BWF tournaments. (Reuters Photo)

Double Olympic gold medallist Viktor Axelsen might’ve scored his biggest podium win yet. After repeatedly pointing to the need of the sport’s World Tour needing reforms, it turns out BWF was always in the process of bringing them in – starting with top tournaments spread over 11 days, with two weekends thrown in, to ease playing conditions for players.

Injuries are rife in badminton, and literally decimating entire top fields as competition is carried out week after week, with shuttlers playing five days straight. Not any more – from 2027 onwards atleast.

Badminton World Federation in a release, announced that number of Super 1000 tournaments held across Asia and Europe goes up to 5, and will feature an expanded format – running over two weeks instead of one.

“Singles events will include 48 players competing in group and then elimination rounds, while doubles events will follow a 32-pair knockout draw. Each tournament will take place over 11 days, spanning two weekends,” the BWF said.

Here are the #BWFWorldTour hosts for 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣7️⃣-2️⃣0️⃣3️⃣0️⃣.

— BWF (@bwfmedia) February 9, 2026

The BWF World Championships too will see a change in format – a group-stage format followed by knockout play, ensuring all competitors contest at least two matches, like the Olympics.

“All 1,095 matches from these Super 1000 tournaments will be broadcast globally,” the federation said, a welcome addition given side courts tended to be not broadcast, also suffering from discrepancies due to no Hawkeye.

“This forms part of a wider uplift across the tour, with Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and Super 100 tournaments to also deliver an increase in TV-produced matches. Together, these upgrades give the BWF a year-round platform that showcases top level badminton and ensures the sport’s elite quality remains central to every competition,” the BWF said.

From 2027 onwards, the number of TV-produced badminton matches will double from 1,410 to approximately 3,000 across all BWF tournaments. This expansion follows the extension of BWF’s long-term deal through to 2034 with broadcast and commercial partners Infront announced last year.

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The revamped BWF World Tour, will hold 36 tournaments within a six-tier structure. Besides the number of Super 1000 events going up to five, and an expanded annual prize pool of up to US$26.9 million, will see Super 100s coming into the Tour orbit.

From 2027 onwards, the BWF Sudirman Cup Finals and BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals will expand to more teams, delivering broader international representation and competitive diversity, the release said. With a record number of TV-produced matches across all three championships over 12 days, these tournaments will transform into two-week global festivals of badminton, celebrating the sport at its pinnacle and strengthening the global brand.

BWF stressed this was aimed at player welfare – looking at recovery times. “The introduction of two-week formats across more tournament levels represents a deliberate enhancement to improve playing conditions for the world’s leading players. Extending the competition window enables more balanced scheduling and gives athletes greater recovery time between matches. This approach aligns with the BWF’s strategic objective of supporting athletes in their pursuit of excellence and enabling them to sustain longer, more successful careers in badminton,” BWF said.

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