Nguyen Tien Minh advances to Vietnam Open 2026 main draw after defeating doubles-specialist junior

Vietnam Open 2026 – Nguyen Tien Minh, 43, successfully navigated the qualifying round to book his place in the main draw of the international badminton tournament. In the match held on September 8, he defeated Nguyen Hoang Thai Son – a player 21 years his junior who specializes in doubles – with a relatively comfortable score. This victory not only affirmed the class of a veteran but also demonstrated the courage and experience of a man who once dominated Vietnamese badminton for many years. Before the tournament, Nguyen Tien Minh was considered the underdog against younger players, but he proved otherwise. "He has power and speed but is not really strong in singles. I took advantage of that," Minh told reporters after the match. This was the first meeting between the two players on the international stage, and tactical superiority helped the elder player secure his main-draw spot. Vietnam Open 2026 is a BWF Super 100 tournament held in Hanoi from September 8 to 13. It attracts more than 300 players from 27 countries and territories, including many young shuttlers aiming to earn ranking points. This is one of the most significant international badminton events hosted by Vietnam in 2026 alongside other domestic tournaments. Nguyen Tien Minh, currently ranked 254th in the world, has been a professional for more than two decades. At the age of 43, he still maintains impressive form and determination to contribute to national sports. "I am still passionate, still want to spread my wings on court and play until I no longer can," he confided. His presence in the main draw is a great encouragement for Vietnam’s younger players. In the first round, Nguyen Tien Minh will face Zhe Ying Wu from Taiwan – a much younger opponent but with decent current form. Experts believe this is an opportunity for Minh to test his endurance, though it will not be easy to go deep. Meanwhile, another Vietnamese representative, Le Duc Phat – a player with many domestic achievements – is struggling with knee and heel injuries, requiring pain-relief injections to continue the tournament. His wife’s presence in the stands gives him moral support, but his physical condition is not truly stable for high results. Another Vietnamese shuttler, Nguyen Hai Dang, was eliminated in the qualifying round after losing to Singapore’s Jia Wei Joel Koh. This reflects that Vietnamese men’s singles are in a transition phase, where the next generation has not fully matured and top players face injuries and age problems. According to statistics from the organizers, many participants are young players from Asia, making a competitive but not extremely fierce field compared to Super 750 or Super 1000 events. This explains why Vietnam can send a strong force to compete and gain points and experience. Notably, despite being on the downside of his career, Nguyen Tien Minh still receives trust from the national team’s coaching staff. He competes at a low density (only one tournament in a month), which helps him maintain fitness and serves as a strategy to avoid accumulating injuries. Objectively, beating a young player is not a precise measure of Nguyen Tien Minh’s form. However, for a 43-year-old athlete, passing the qualifying round of an international event is a positive result and an inspiration for young people pursuing sports. Nguyen Tien Minh once said he does not focus too much on achievements but wants to enjoy the competitive atmosphere. That mindset helps him maintain love for the sport he has been attached to for over three decades. The dream of one day playing badminton alongside younger teammates remains his biggest motivation. For Vietnamese badminton fans, seeing Nguyen Tien Minh play at a major event like the Vietnam Open at age 43 is already a gift. In addition, the progress of young talents like Nguyen Hoang Thai Son – despite many lacks in singles – is also a positive sign for the sport’s development in the country. Sports experts believe that participating in Super 100 tournaments is a reasonable points strategy for Vietnamese players in the accumulation period. However, they also need appropriate training, nutrition, and medical support to minimize injury risks as in the case of Le Duc Phat. Back to Nguyen Tien Minh, he is preparing for his first main-draw match. Fans hope his experience and resilience will help him overcome today’s younger players. With a long and glorious career, perhaps persistent efforts have made Nguyen Tien Minh a shining role model in the Vietnamese badminton community.