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PLAYER GUIDE · KODAI NARAOKA

Kodai Naraoka Badminton
2026 Results, Match by Match

🌐 日本語で読む

🏸 2026 results📅 What's next

Kodai Naraoka (奈良岡功大, NTT East, men's singles) had the best run of his career at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi: seeded 10th, he beat the 8th, 4th and 6th seeds on three consecutive days to reach the final, where he lost to Alex Lanier (FRA) and took silver. This page lists every 2026 result with the score of each match, and every entry links to our tournament page for that event, where you can see the draw, the other Japanese players and how the week unfolded. The profile below only uses what the Nippon Badminton Association publishes officially — we do not write about injuries or private life.

Team
NTT East
Event
Men's singles
Worlds 2026
Runner-up (silver)
As of 25 Aug 2026
World No. 8

🏸 2026 results

Every 2026 result we record for Kodai Naraoka, tournament by tournament. Tournament names link to our summary page for that event (draw, the other Japanese entries, and how to follow the broadcast). Scores are written from Naraoka's point of view.

7/14〜19 🏸 Semi-finals

Daihatsu Japan Open

Super 750・Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium

Beat LIN Chun-Yi (TPE) 21-17, 21-19, then Panitchaphon TEERARATSAKUL (THA) 10-21, 21-16, 21-16 and Alwi FARHAN (INA) 21-18, 20-22, 21-18 — two three-game wins in a row. Lost the semi-final to Christo POPOV (FRA) 14-21, 11-21.

7/21〜26 🏸 Round of 16

China Open

Super 1000・Changzhou, China

Beat NG Ka Long Angus (HKG) 21-15, 21-16, then lost to CHOU Tien Chen (TPE) 13-21, 15-21 on 23 July. Every Japanese men's singles player was out by the end of that day.

8/17〜23 🥈 Runner-up (silver)

BWF World Championships 2026

World Championships・New Delhi, India

Seeded 10 — the only seeded Japanese man in the draw. Beat CHI Yu Jen (TPE) 21-16, 7-21, 21-12; Harry HUANG (ENG) 21-16, 21-14; then 8th seed LI Shi Feng (CHN) 13-21, 23-21, 21-11 from a game down; 4th seed Anders ANTONSEN (DEN) 21-19, 21-15; and 6th seed CHOU Tien Chen (TPE) 17-21, 21-11, 21-10 — three seeds beaten in a row. Lost the final to Alex LANIER (FRA, 9th seed) 11-21, 11-21. His second world silver after Copenhagen 2023.

9/1〜6 🏸 Quarter-finals

China Masters

Super 750・Shenzhen, China

Seeded 8. He beat LI Shi Feng (CHN) 21-18, 21-7 in the first round on 2 September — the player he came back to beat in the third round of the World Championships — then Brian YANG (CAN) 21-16, 21-11 in the second round on 3 September. In the quarter-final on 4 September he lost 10-21, 14-21 to 2nd seed Christo POPOV (FRA) and went out in the last eight. Both games ended in double figures against him, and it was a second straight defeat by the same player after the Japan Open semi-final in July (14-21, 11-21 to Popov).

9/20〜29 📅 Named in Japan's squad

Asian Games 2026

Asian Games・Ichinomiya, Aichi, Japan

Named in the 10-man squad announced on 19 May 2026, entered in both the individual and the team event. He took bronze in men's singles at the previous edition (Hangzhou 2022, held in 2023).

Scores are written from Kodai Naraoka's point of view (his score first). Only matches completed by 6 September 2026 are listed. Matches in progress are not listed.

🔥 Worlds 2026: seven days

The clearest way to read Naraoka's 2026 World Championships is by seedings. He came in as the 10th seed — the only seeded Japanese man in the draw — and then beat a higher seed on three consecutive days.

Kodai Naraoka's route through the 2026 BWF World Championships: beat CHI Yu Jen 21-16, 7-21, 21-12; Harry Huang 21-16, 21-14; 8th seed Li Shi Feng 13-21, 23-21, 21-11; 4th seed Anders Antonsen 21-19, 21-15; 6th seed Chou Tien Chen 17-21, 21-11, 21-10; lost the final to 9th seed Alex Lanier 11-21, 11-21.
All six of Kodai Naraoka's matches at the 2026 BWF World Championships. Scores are written from his point of view.

Naraoka had lost to Chou 13-21, 15-21 in the second round of the China Open five weeks earlier — that reversal is the story of Naraoka's summer.

🏆 Career highlights

📅 What's next

At the China Masters 2026 (Super 750, Shenzhen, 1–6 September) he was the 8th seed and went out in the quarter-finals on 4 September. He beat LI Shi Feng (CHN) 21-18, 21-7 in the first round and Brian YANG (CAN) 21-16, 21-11 in the second, both in straight games, then lost 10-21, 14-21 to 2nd seed Christo POPOV (FRA).

After that come the 2026 Asian Games in Ichinomiya, Aichi (20–29 September), where he is named in Japan's squad for both the individual and the team event.

⚠️ Beyond that, entries are not known until each draw is published. We do not guess who will play. Linked pages are in Japanese.

👤 Profile

NameKodai Naraoka (奈良岡功大)
EventMen's singles
TeamNTT East (Tokyo)
Born30 June 2001
FromAomori Prefecture, Japan (Nihon University)
Height173cm
PlaysRight-handed
World rankingWorld No. 8 as of 1 September 2026
76,530 points from 20 counted events. He was also World No. 8 a week earlier, on 25 August 2026. Career high World No. 2, dated 12 December 2023. World rankings are updated every week, so this is a dated record, not a current figure. Check the BWF website for the latest list.

Source — Nippon Badminton Association national team page (in Japanese). This profile only uses what the association publishes officially. We do not write about injuries, health or private life.

🔍 Keep your own scoresheet

Top-level matches read differently once you can see where the momentum turned. In the round of 16 above, 13-21, 23-21, 21-11 says that once he edged the second game 23-21, the third was a ten-point win.

Badsheet records your own matches point by point, builds an official-style scoresheet and charts win rate and shot placement.

Badsheet app banner. Record badminton matches point by point, generate an official-style scoresheet automatically, and see win rate and shot-placement trends as charts.

🔗 Related pages

The pages below are written in Japanese, except the ones marked EN.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Who does Kodai Naraoka play for?

NTT East (Tokyo). The Nippon Badminton Association lists him on its national team page as a singles player for NTT East / Tokyo. He was born on 30 June 2001, is 173cm tall, plays right-handed, comes from Aomori Prefecture and went to Nihon University. This profile only uses information the Nippon Badminton Association publishes officially.

What is Kodai Naraoka's world ranking?

World No. 8 in men's singles as of 1 September 2026, with 76,530 points from 20 counted events. He was also No. 8 a week earlier, on the list dated 25 August 2026. The China Masters 2026 draw published on 25 August also seeded him 8th, which matches our tournament page. His career high is World No. 2, dated 12 December 2023. World rankings are updated every week, so please read this as a dated record rather than a current figure, and check the BWF website for the latest list.

Did Kodai Naraoka win the 2026 World Championships?

No — he finished second and took silver. He lost the final on 23 August 2026 to Alex Lanier (FRA, 9th seed) 11-21, 11-21. It was his second world silver after Copenhagen 2023. On the way to that final he beat 8th seed Li Shi Feng (CHN) 13-21, 23-21, 21-11, 4th seed Anders Antonsen (DEN) 21-19, 21-15 and 6th seed Chou Tien Chen (TPE) 17-21, 21-11, 21-10 — three higher seeds on three consecutive days.

What are Kodai Naraoka's 2026 results so far?

In the events we record: semi-finals at the Daihatsu Japan Open (Super 750, Tokyo) in July, round of 16 at the China Open (Super 1000, Changzhou) in July, and runner-up at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi in August. At the China Masters 2026 (Super 750, Shenzhen) he was seeded 8th and reached the quarter-finals: he beat Li Shi Feng (CHN) 21-18, 21-7 on 2 September and Brian Yang (CAN) 21-16, 21-11 on 3 September, then lost 10-21, 14-21 to 2nd seed Christo Popov (FRA) on 4 September.

What is Kodai Naraoka playing next?

As of 5 September 2026 he has just finished the China Masters 2026 (Super 750, Shenzhen, 1–6 September), where he was the 8th seed and lost 10-21, 14-21 to 2nd seed Christo Popov (FRA) in the quarter-final on 4 September. Next come the 2026 Asian Games in Ichinomiya, Aichi, from 20 to 29 September, where he is one of the ten men named in Japan's squad on 19 May 2026 and is entered for both the individual and the team event. Please check the organisers and BWF for confirmed entries and draws.

Where can I watch Kodai Naraoka play?

Broadcast and streaming differ from tournament to tournament, and Japanese rights are usually announced only shortly before each event. Each of our tournament pages explains how to check for that event. We do not state broadcast details that have not been confirmed — please check the tournament's own site and BWF.

📮 Corrections and removal. This is an unofficial summary built from published information. If anything here is factually wrong, or if the player or their team would like this page taken down, please contact us and we will correct or remove it promptly. We do not publish anything about injuries, health or private life.

Last updated . Sources — the Nippon Badminton Association national team page, match results recorded on our own tournament pages (each confirmed against two sources), and the BWF World Ranking as of 1 September 2026. Japanese version: https://takeorilab.ybcjr.com/senshu/naraoka-kodai/