German Player Secures Round of 16 Spot

Mülheim an der Ruhr – In a significant victory at the YONEX German Open Badminton Championships on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, Matthias Kicklitz defeated Kalle Koljonen in his opening match. The tournament, running from February 24 to March 1, 2026, saw Kicklitz triumph with a score of 23:21, 11:21, 21:4, earning him a place in the round of 16.

Kicklitz Reflects on Victory

“I’m very happy! I’m in the main draw at the YONEX German Open for the first time this year and have now won a game here for the first time. To beat a player like that is even cooler,”

Matthias Kicklitz

The 23-year-old, currently ranked 83rd in the BWF World Badminton Association, added, In the second set I didn’t really find my way into the game and was much too slow. In the third set the attacks were there and once you have a high lead and then If we continue, it will be challenging for our opponents. He expressed optimism about his performance, stating, The year started well, I hope it continues like this.

Upcoming Match for Kicklitz

In the round of 16, Kicklitz will face fifth-seeded Weng Hong Yang of China, currently ranked 16th in the world. This will be their first encounter.

Other German Players in Action

Wilson Falls to Han Yue

Miranda Wilson, the reigning German runner-up in women’s singles, lost her first-round match against China’s Han Yue (ranked second) with scores of 11:21 and 10:21.

“My main goal was to concentrate fully on myself. She is an absolute world-class player and matches like this are ideal for my further development. The result was clear, but the game was long, so I can take a lot from it,”

Miranda Wilson

Bourakkadi & Neumann Suffer Defeat

Malik Bourakkadi and Kenneth Neumann lost their first-round men’s doubles match against the Czech brothers Jirí and Ondrej Král, 19:21, 13:21.

“We wanted to win. We have played against them twice before and lost twice. In that respect, it’s always difficult against them,”

Kenneth Neumann

Mixed Doubles Results

Malik Bourakkadi, competing in mixed doubles with Leona Michalski, lost to Chen Cheng Kuan/Hsu Yin-Hui from Taiwan, 19:21, 15:21. Simon Krax and Amelie Lehmann also faced defeat against Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi of China, 12:21, 18:21.

Tournament Information

The YONEX German Open 2026 boasts a prize pool of $250,000 and is categorized as an HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300 event. More information, including the schedule and ticket sales, can be found on the official tournament website: www.german-open-badminton.de.

YONEX is the main and title sponsor of the International Badminton Championships in Germany for the 38th consecutive year.

Results & Livestream

View the full results of the YONEX German Open 2026 here. Watch the livestream on Sporteurope.tv.