Korea vs China: The Thrilling 2026 Uber Cup Final That Crowned Korea as Champions

Daniel Kim 2026.05.04 Views

Translation result ▲ © Yonhap News ▲ © Korea Badminton Association ▲ Baek Hana © Korea Badminton Association

Horsens, Denmark — South Korea’s women’s badminton squad beat China to reclaim the world team crown, the country’s first Uber Cup title in four years (since 2022).

On May 3 (Korean time), doubles pairing Baek Hana and Kim Hye-jung delivered a dramatic comeback in the second doubles rubber of the Uber Cup final, rallying past China’s Zai Pan and Zhang Shuxian 2-1 (16-21, 21-10, 21-13) to clinch the championship in Horsens. The victory marks South Korea’s third Uber Cup triumph, joining their 2010 and 2022 wins.

The Uber Cup is decided in a best-of-five tie — three singles and two doubles matches — with the first team to three match wins taking the trophy. Korea took the initial lead when An Se-young defeated Wang Ziyi 2-0, but the tie was leveled after Lee So-hee and Jung Na-eun fell to Liu Shengsu and Tan Ning. Kim Ga-eun then produced the upset of the day, beating Chen Yufei to put Korea up 2-1.

▲ Kim Ga-eun © Korea Badminton Association

In the fourth match, the Korean pair started shakily. Baek and Kim surrendered a run of points to China’s heavy smashes and quick attacks and dropped the opening game 16-21.

They flipped the script in game two. Korea tightened its defense, absorbed China’s pressure and then took the initiative with controlled, aggressive rallies to pull away, rolling to a 21-10 win. Momentum firmly on their side, Baek and Kim pressed the attack in the decider and closed out the match 21-13 in a tense finish to secure the title.

▲ Kim Hye-jung © Korea Badminton Association

The first game was tough for the Koreans. Though Baek and Kim grabbed early points and set the pace, Zai Pan and Zhang Shuxian battled back, winning a string of rallies and forcing Korea to give up the lead. The score stood at 6-11 at the interval, and despite Korea’s persistent chase, China kept building the advantage and took the game 21-16.

Game two played out under rising tension. After trading points to 4-4, Baek and Kim found a burst of focus and surged to an 11-5 interval lead.

China’s two challenge reviews both went Korea’s way, further swinging momentum to the Korean pair. China tried to mount a comeback, but Korea won several long rallies to blunt the charge. A shaken Chinese side then committed service errors, and Korea closed the game 21-10.

In the deciding third game, Baek and Kim carried the momentum forward. Early Chinese errors and Kim’s powerful smashes pushed Korea into a 7-2 lead, and they reached the interval up 11-2. China threatened a brief response, but the gap remained substantial enough for Korea to manage the finish. Baek and Kim sealed the match 21-13 and lifted the Uber Cup.