Before today, all nations had been in action at least once at the Thomas & Uber Cup 2026. With today’s matches completed, the group standings are beginning to take shape.
A total of six European nations were in action today, including an all-European clash this evening between Denmark and Sweden.
In the morning session, the French men bounced back strongly after their 4–1 defeat to Thailand on Friday. They secured a convincing 5–0 win over Algeria, without dropping a single set and looking in control throughout the tie.
Also in the morning, Spain faced Thailand. In the opening women’s singles, Clara Azurmendi delivered an impressive performance, taking a game off Pornpawee Chochuwong before eventually losing in three sets. Several of the young Spanish players also showed promising signs, but Spain ultimately fell 5–0.
In the second session, the European Women’s Team Champions from Bulgaria faced one of the favourites for the title, Korea. Despite a determined effort, the Bulgarian side was outmatched, with Korea claiming a 5–0 victory. This result means that both Spain and Bulgaria are eliminated from Uber Cup Group D, as they have lost to both Thailand and Korea and therefore cannot advance. However, the two teams will still face each other on Tuesday at 10:00.
In Group B, Türkiye took on Japan in a match where a major upset was needed to keep their qualification hopes alive. Neslihan Arin set the tone by defeating world number nine Tomoka Miyazaki in three games, 16–21, 21–18, 21–19. However, Japan responded strongly, winning the remaining matches without dropping a set to secure a 4–1 victory. As a result, Türkiye finds itself in the same situation as Spain and Bulgaria, having lost to both higher-ranked teams in the group and therefore unable to qualify for the knockout stage. They will, however, play their final group match against South Africa tomorrow evening.
The final European tie of the day featured the silver and bronze medalists from the recent European Men’s Team Championships. The two nations had not met during that tournament, making this their first encounter with their current line-ups. Sweden had lost 5–0 to Chinese Taipei in their opening match, while Denmark defeated Korea 4–1.
As expected, Denmark proved too strong and secured a 4–1 victory. However, Sweden delivered a major highlight, as Ludwig Axelsson and Filip Karlborg produced a remarkable upset. The Swedish pair, who have only played three tournaments together and are currently ranked 410 in the world, defeated world number 19 duo Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard in straight games, 21–12, 21–14.
