Christo Popov’s run at the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2026 has ended in the quarterfinals, having lost to Chinese Taipei’s Li Chun-Yi.

The two players have faced several times before, with Popov winning their last three matches. Just last week at the German Open, the Frenchman defeated Li in the semifinals. This time, however, Li gave a strong performance, taking the win in straight games, 21-18 21-14.

Popov acknowledged the level his opponent today. “Li Chun-Yi played some of his best badminton today. He was in a very good shape, very precise, very sharp in attack. I struggled a lot in the net. He was really, really good.”

Despite the loss, the French player thinks he has played at a good level. “Honestly I don’t think I played a very bad game, it was a good game for myself. He was just a better player on court and he deserved the win a 100%.”

Reflecting on his week in Birmingham, the fifth seed saw it as a result that meets expectations, even though he had hoped for more. “I would describe it as not a normal week, but kind of the minimum has been achieved. As number 5, what awaits me is quarterfinal, and I did quarterfinal. The minimum was achieved although I was hoping for more. There are some days where you lose to a better player and today was one of them.”

Popov still has another chance. He will return to court later today with his brother Toma Junior Popov in the men’s doubles quarterfinals, where the pair will face top seeds Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae. “We’re going to have a lot of fun again. We have shown we have a lot of things to do and to challenge for. I know my brother is 100% ready to give it all so let’s do it.”