The pair Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri secured their first title of the 2026 season after emerging as the men’s doubles champions at the 2026 Japan Open. The second seeds defeated top seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea 21-19, 21-17 in a 45-minute match at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Sunday, July 19, 2026.
The title marks Fajar and Fikri’s first trophy of the season. Previously, at the 2026 Singapore Open, which is also a Super 750 event, the Indonesian duo had to settle for the runner-up spot.
For Fajar, this victory in Tokyo is deeply meaningful. In addition to ending a title drought that had lasted nearly a year since winning the 2025 China Open, the victory is expected to serve as a turning point for their performance for the rest of the season.
“Alhamdulillah, we are grateful to have played smoothly and to finally win the title in Japan. The wait of almost a year since winning the 2025 China Open has finally paid off. Hopefully, this marks the beginning of our comeback to win more titles,” he said.
Facing Kim and Seo, who are known for their solid defense, Fajar attributed their victory to successfully anticipating their opponents’ strengths. He and Fikri played more vigilantly from the start of the match and strictly executed their prepared strategy.
“Their strength lies in returning shots that are actually very difficult. Their defense is extraordinary. But this time, we were able to anticipate that and were more disciplined in executing our strategy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fikri admitted the victory did not come easily. However, effective communication with both his partner and the coaching staff allowed them to control the tempo of the match. “They are not easy opponents and played well. However, we were able to perform solidly and execute our strategy properly. Communication with my partner and coaches went well, allowing us to implement the entire plan from start to finish,” he said.
The success in Japan provides a confidence boost for Fajar and Fikri as they look ahead to the next series of tournaments, starting with the 2026 China Open—a BWF Super 1000 event—from July 21 to 26, 2026. Fikri expressed hope that they could maintain this consistency.
Titles Shared
The men’s doubles result rounded out the outcomes of this BWF Super 750 tournament. All five titles were shared among India, South Korea, China, France, and Indonesia. Host country Japan, on the other hand, was left empty-handed. Despite placing two representatives in the men’s and women’s singles finals, both had to settle for runner-up finishes.
In the women’s singles, Akane Yamaguchi fell to Pusarla V. Sindhu 17-21, 17-21. In the men’s singles, Koki Watanabe lost to fifth seed Christo Popov 11-21, 19-21. South Korea took the women’s doubles title through Kim Hye-jeong and Kong Hee-yong, who defeated Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian 14-21, 21-15, 30-29. China won the mixed doubles title through Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping.
