RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s badminton squad heads into the China Open 2026 in Changzhou not only with high hopes but also facing one of the toughest draws of the season.

The tournament, staged at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium from July 21–26, is a Super 1000 event--a tier above the Japan Open--and offers a total prize pool of USD 2 million.

The team is fielding three singles players and nine doubles pairs across all categories, Antara reported. In men’s singles, Jonatan Christie and Alwi Farhan will compete, while Putri Kusuma Wardani represents Indonesia in women’s singles.

The doubles lineup includes three men’s pairs--Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani, and Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin--alongside three women’s pairs and three mixed doubles pairs.

The spotlight falls on Fajar/Fikri, who arrive as defending champions and fresh winners of the Japan Open 2026, where they defeated world No. 1 pair Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae.

Seeded second, they begin their title defense against China’s Huang Di/Liu Yang. Their compatriots face equally demanding openers: Sabar/Reza against Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif/Kang Khai Xing, and Raymond/Nikolaus against Taiwan’s Lee Fang-Chih/Lee Fang-Jen.

In singles, Jonatan, seeded fourth, meets Japan’s Yudai Okimoto, while Alwi faces India’s rising talent Ayush Shetty. Putri, seeded sixth, opens against Denmark’s Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt.

The women’s doubles draw is particularly daunting. Rachel Allessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum face China’s second seeds Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian, while Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Meilysa Trias Puspitasari take on newly crowned Japan Open champions Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong.

Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti/Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi meet Japan’s experienced duo Sayaka Hirota/Ayako Sakuramoto.

Mixed doubles also present challenges. Amri Syahnawi/Nita Violina Marwah drew Thailand’s fourth seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Supissara Paewsampran, while Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu face Taiwan’s Ye Hong Wei/Nicole Gonzales Chan, and Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja meet Scotland’s Alexander Dunn/Julie Macpherson.

The tournament schedule runs from the round of 32 on July 21–22, followed by the round of 16 on July 23, quarterfinals on July 24, semifinals on July 25, and the final on Sunday, July 26.

Indonesia’s campaign in Changzhou will test both depth and resilience, as the team seeks to replicate its dominance from last year’s SEA V League and build momentum toward the year’s remaining Super Series events. ***