Victor Lai of Markham, Ont., became the first Canadian to win the Korea Open badminton title on Sunday, defeating Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan 21-11, 21-14 in the men’s singles final, CBC reported.

The 21-year-old, ranked seventh in the world, earned US$37,000 at the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament. The breakthrough followed a series of first-round exits in his previous appearances at the event.

Lai reached the final by recovering from an opening-game loss against Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in the semifinals. After dropping the first game 21-19, he won the next two 21-15 and 21-12.

“Victor continues to shine on the world stage,” Badminton Canada executive director Bryan Merrett said in a news release quoted by CBC. “His ability to learn from past performances continues to set him up for success.”

The Korea Open victory adds to a strong 2026 season for Lai, who won the Indonesia Open Super 1000 title in June while ranked 14th in the world. He also repeated as a men’s singles bronze medallist at the world championships in New Delhi in August, a year after earning Canada’s first world championship medal.

CBC reported that the latest title puts Lai in contention for one of eight places at next month’s World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China.

Sources