The BWF World Tour series holds a lot of prominence among the top-ranked badminton players, as it falls under the Grade 2 category of the BWF tournament structure.
There are five different levels in the series, with the Super 1000 occupying level 2. The tournaments under this level offer the most ranking points and prize money to the participating shuttlers.
So players look forward to making the most out of their appearances in the Super 1000 tournaments. But what exactly is the BWF World Tour Super 1000 in badminton? How many players participate? And how do the tournaments work?
This article will provide you with an overview of the BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournaments in badminton.
BWF World Tour Super 1000 Level
As mentioned earlier, the Super 1000 tournaments are level 2 in badminton, just behind the World Tour Finals that takes place at the end of every year.
It is the top level in the badminton circuit where the best-ranked players compete against each other. The tournaments under the Super 1000 level have the most ranking points up for grabs, which help shuttlers move up the BWF World Rankings.
These tournaments also provide hefty prize money, which is another motivating factor for players to get the highest honour.
How many tournaments fall under the Super 1000 level?
During the current BWF cycle, there are four Super 1000 tournaments. Three of them take place in Asia, while the remaining one happens in England, which hosts the oldest badminton tournament.
The All England Open Badminton Championships has been part of the Super 1000 level since the BWF restructured the tournaments in 2018. The championship, though, has been taking place every year since 1899.
China Open and Indonesia Open are the other two tournaments that have been holding the Super 1000 status since 2018. The fourth tournament, Malaysia Open, has been upgraded from the Super 750 level to the Super 1000 level in 2023.
Malaysia Open kicks off the Super 1000 level in January every year, followed by the All England Open in March, the Indonesia Open in June, and concludes with the China Open in September.
How many players participate in the Super 1000 tournaments?
As many as 32 players in each singles and 16 pairs in each doubles category feature in the Super 1000 tournaments. There is no qualification round for the Super 1000 tournaments.
Once the tournament organiser floats the event invitation, the BWF member nations nominate their top-ranked players to participate in these competitions.
Among those, the top 15 singles shuttlers and top 10 doubles pairs on the BWF World Rankings must participate in all Super 1000 tournaments. If they fail to participate, then they will have to shell out US$ 50,000 per tournament.
However, the BWF gives exemptions if the players are not fit to participate after the concerned player furnishes a valid medical certificate.
How does the format of the Super 1000 tournaments work?
The tournament format divides the 32 players and 16 pairs into four different sections for the preliminary rounds. Players/pairs play on a knockout basis, with the winner of the match decided on the best of three sets.
The preliminary rounds culminate with quarter-finals of each section, with the winners further advancing to the semi-finals. The semi-final winners then square off in the final to take home the title.
How many points and prize money do shuttlers earn?
Except for the China Open, the other three Super 1000 tournaments have a prize pot of US$1,300,000. The China Open, though, offers a total prize money of US$2,000,000.
The winner of the China Open also takes 13,500 points, while the other three have 12,000 points on offer.
Here’s how the points structure looks like in the Super 1000 tournaments:
For All England Open, Indonesia Open, and Malaysia Open:
| Result | Winner | Runner-up | 3/4 | 5/8 | 9/16 | 17/32 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 12,000 | 10,200 | 8,400 | 6,600 | 4,800 | 3,000 |
| Prize (Singles) | $91,000 | $44,200 | $18,200 | $7,150 | $3,900 | $1,300 |
| Prize (Doubles) | $96,200 | $45,500 | $18,200 | $8,125 | $4,225 | $1,300 |
For China Open:
| Result | Winner | Runner-up | 3/4 | 5/8 | 9/16 | 17/32 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 13,500 | 11,500 | 9,500 | 7,400 | 5,400 | 3,300 |
| Prize (Singles) | $140,000 | $68,000 | $28,000 | $11,000 | $6,000 | $2,000 |
| Prize (Doubles) | $148,000 | $70,000 | $28,000 | $8,125 | $6,500 | $2,000 |
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