The YONEX All England 2025 saw a day of major upsets as several defending champions and top seeds crashed out in the second round. Among the biggest surprises was the exit of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, who saved seven match points but eventually lost to the new Korean duo Kang Min Hyuk/Ki Dong Ju in a thrilling 80-minute battle, 21-18, 25-27, 23-21. Other casualties included defending champions Jonatan Christie and Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee, as well as top contenders Anders Antonsen, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and the men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty.
In women’s doubles, Korea’s in-form No.8 seeds Kim Hye Jeong and Kong Hee Yong—who had won two titles from three recent finals—were defeated by India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela. The Indian duo, who are two-time All England semifinalists, battled through an intense 87-minute match to win 15-21, 21-18, 21-19. Pullela emphasized the importance of adapting their strategy and the prestige of competing at the All England, saying, “Whenever we play here, we give 200 per cent.”
The men’s singles draw also saw the elimination of three major contenders. Defending champion Jonatan Christie fell to India’s Lakshya Sen in just 36 minutes, struggling with the playing conditions and his own errors. Anders Antonsen praised his opponent Wang Tzu Wei’s flawless execution, admitting, “Nothing really worked well for me today.” Meanwhile, Kunlavut Vitidsarn was outplayed by France’s rising star Alex Lanier, who adapted well to the conditions and secured a straight-games victory, 22-20, 21-15. With so many top players out, the tournament is now wide open for new champions to emerge.
