New Delhi, August 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei is chasing the one major title missing from her glittering collection, but the Chinese shuttler insists her biggest challenge at the BWF World Championships is not any opponent — it is herself.
“The biggest obstacle is myself. If I can conquer myself, then everything will be fine,” Chen told reporters on the sidelines of the championships at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here.
Chen came close to securing the world title last year in Paris, where she reached the final but lost to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi also defeated her in the China Open final, while Chen has continued to make deep runs in 2026, reaching the finals of the Thailand Open and Malaysia Masters and the semifinals of the Singapore and Indonesia Opens.
Despite those near-misses, Chen said she would not allow the prospect of completing her major-title collection to create additional pressure.
“You must have faith and don’t care about anything else. It is just enough,” she said when asked whether winning the World Championships had become a personal target.
Chen also rejected suggestions that Chinese players were under pressure to restore the country’s dominance in women’s singles. China has not produced a world champion in the discipline since 2011.
“There is no such pressure; I just have to do well,” she said.
Her experience in Paris last year makes that approach understandable. Chen defeated then-world No. 1 An Se Young in the semifinals before facing Yamaguchi in the final. An ankle injury sustained during the semifinal also affected her in the title clash.
This time, Chen is determined to concentrate only on the match ahead rather than potential opponents.
“I don’t think I will be able to meet her this time. So I think I will do my best in every match and try to win. It is about ourselves, how we prepare for the event, not for some specific players,” she said of An Se Young.
Chen admitted that her preparations for the championships have not been ideal. She described herself as “very busy” and said she spent much of the previous week resting rather than undergoing an intensive tournament-specific build-up.
She also acknowledged that her physical condition is not yet perfect.
“It’s better than the last match, but I think it’s not 100%,” Chen said.
The Chinese star said the conditions in New Delhi were still uncomfortable, although she felt they were considerably better than during the India Open, when court conditions and drift had generated considerable discussion.
“So about those controversies, it’s much better now. It’s just that the weather is not comfortable,” she said.
Chen has had another demanding season, including a marathon victory over India’s PV Sindhu in the second round of the China Open in July. She recovered from losing the opening game to win 16-21, 22-20, 21-18 in one hour and 29 minutes.
With the World Championships now underway, Chen remains focused on controlling what she can — her preparation, fitness and mindset — rather than the weight of history or the identity of her opponents.
For the Olympic champion, the key battle begins within.
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