Indonesian men's singles player Jonatan Christie believes that competition in the men's singles sector at the 2026 BWF World Championships is becoming more even because young players are now able to compete at the top level.
He made the statement after defeating German badminton player Matthias Kicklitz 21-15, 21-14 in the round of 64 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
"I think it's not just this tournament, but now the men's singles field is becoming more even, meaning that young players are also getting better," Jonatan said in a written statement from PBSI.
According to Jonatan, the development of young players makes it difficult to predict match results based solely on rankings or seedings. He believes many young players now possess the qualities to compete at the elite level.
"Many of them are no longer a surprise, but they truly deserve to be at the top level," said Jonathan.
This perspective also led Jonatan to pay greater attention to preparation and execution during matches. He noted that actual conditions on the field could differ from pre-match predictions.
"I'm not really surprised. Now, I'm just talking about the preparations for the big day, the execution on the field, the changing conditions, the adjustments , and the gameplay," said Jonatan.
