Alex Lanier in men’s singles final, proof of France’s growing stature in game

Alex Lanier in men's singles final, proof of France's growing stature in game Frenchman beats Canada's Victor Lai and will now face Japanese metronome Kodai Naraoka for biggest title of his career.

Key points

• Lanier beat Canada's Victor Lai 21-16, 13-21, 14-21 and will now face Japanese Kodai Naraoka, a retrieving automaton who can go on seemingly for hours.
• 3 min read New Delhi Updated: Aug 22, 2026 11: 39 PM IST.
• France's Alex Lanier celebrates his win against Canada's Victor Lai in a semi final match of the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Aug.
• Former Danish multiple medallist – two mixed doubles bronze at Worlds and London Olympics bronze winner – Joachim Fischer Nielsen.
• Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express.

France's Alex Lanier celebrates his win against Canada's Victor Lai in a semi final match of the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup).

Hailing from the coast of Normandy, Frenchman Alex Lanier grew up around cold, biting winds. The first-ever men's singles finalist from his country at the World Championships knows plenty regarding winds and drift as his father served as a weatherman for both recreational and competitive sailors.

In practice, the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium is perfectly built for Naraoka. This person already has a Worlds silver. For Lanier though, this will be a first-ever final. A man who loves to be by himself and treats badminton as a meditative pursuit with his old fashioned classical retro game-style, he will need to bring the tricks from his two other favourite sports – golf and chess.

Lanier is European badminton's newest darling. Former Danish multiple medallist – two mixed doubles bronze at Worlds and London Olympics bronze winner – Joachim Fischer Nielsen. This person is in Delhi as a TV journalist for DenmarkTV2, notes that while Lanier trained alongwith Rasmus Gemke and Anders Antonsen, the rise of French winners is a tough pill to swallow for the Danes, who had for long dominated European badminton.

"We have gone soft in Denmark. Coaches can't be strict anymore, " he laments, even as Lanier is hailed as a physical beast with ripped muscles and endless stamina.

8, 000 fans, one heartbeat: how Delhi turned a semi-final loss into a celebration.

Lai stressed how the sophisticated sports science applied by the French is seeing them push boundaries. After Christo Popov's World Tour Finals win and France reaching the Thomas Cup finals, now it's Lanier who has created history reaching the Worlds summit clash.

Significantly, France acquires the most talented but unknown coaching personnel from throughout Europe. Lanier's coaches are Lithuanian Kestuis Naviklas and mixed doubles' expert from Iceland Tinna Ludvigsen, both of whom focus on such niche microscopic details that the Danes are awe-struck by the French surge in badminton.

Is Lanier out of words to describe reaching the World's final, the media asks him.

"I don't feel particularly emotional as I'm a little too tired. As I haven't won the title yet, " he notes matter-of-factly, mentally I'm not thinking how major it is. His coach chides him good-humouredly for almost botching the win against Kunlavut Vitidsarn saying, "Don't try to look too cool!"

Meanwhile, the coach additionally edits his sentiment of enjoying badminton this week, urging some urgency though the Frenchman has done well to go deep through a tough field to reach the final. "He's enjoying it a little too much, " he jokes. "But he has a champion mindset." © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd.

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She additionally writes extensively concerning tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"-breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik's recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has lately written concerning a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu's Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu's tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to obtain through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns regarding her irrational backing for the Proteas. It began as of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page.

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