Alex Lanier wins badminton world title for France

Alex Lanier has become world champion in men’s singles, giving France a second badminton gold medal on the same day and marking the biggest day in the country’s history in the sport. The 21-year-old Frenchman secured the title at the World Championships in New Delhi, adding the sport’s highest honour to his growing record.

Lanier, ranked 10th in the world, defeated Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, the world No. 11, in straight games. He won 21-11, 21-11 in a final lasting 50 minutes. The Frenchman pulled away in both games after closely contested openings, including a 12-1 run in the first and a sequence of decisive bursts in the second.

The victory confirms Lanier’s rapid rise. He is the reigning French champion for the second consecutive year and had already claimed the European title in 2025. He now holds both continental and world singles crowns at the age of 21.

His triumph followed the mixed doubles success of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue at the same championships. Their victory and Lanier’s title give France two world gold medals from the event, a landmark result for French badminton.