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Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin arrived at the 2026 Vietnam Open as world No. 91.

He left as champion.

The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) had cut him from the national programme in 2024 as part of a major squad restructuring program and high-performance review.

The 26-year-old independent shuttler defeated Singapore’s Jason Teh — world No. 33, top seed, and a player ranked 58 places above him — 21-16, 21-14 in the final at Nguyen Du Stadium on Sunday (13 Sep).

The match lasted 45 minutes; it was not close.

The victory ended a 27-month title drought for Malaysian men’s singles on the BWF World Tour.

World No. 27 Leong Jun Hao, BAM-backed and ranked higher, has not won a World Tour title in 2026 — failing to progress past the Round of 16 in all 12 tournaments he has contested this year.

Neither did former All England champion Lee Zii Jia, who faced a second-round exit at the 2026 Vietnam Open.

Aidil Sholeh did.

The Long Way Round

This was not Aidil Sholeh’s first Super 100 final.

He lost at the Indonesia Masters in 2024, and at the Al Ain Masters in 2025.

On Sunday, he did not lose.

His path to the final included a 68-minute, three-game semifinal against Japan’s Minoru Koga — the only match all week that went to a deciding set.

Every other opponent, including China’s world No. 43 Dong Tian Yao in the quarterfinals, was dispatched in straight games.

The head-to-head record against Teh now stands at 2-0.

The first win came three years ago at the Malaysia Super 100.

@tanyongming11 What a rally by Aidil Sholeh into the Final Vietnam Open 2026 #aidilsholeh #badminton #badmintonplayer #fyp #fypppppppppppppp ♬ original sound – TAN YONG MING

What The Title Is Worth

The prize money stands at US$8,250 — approximately RM33,580.

The ranking points, estimated at 5,500, are projected to move Aidil Sholeh from world No. 91 into the top 70.

That number matters more than the cheque.

At No. 91, Aidil Sholeh was required to play qualifying rounds at most international tournaments — additional matches before the main draw even begins, against players who had also failed to qualify directly.

At Super 100 and lower-tier BWF events, a top-70 ranking typically secures direct main draw entry — eliminating the qualifying rounds that have cost Aidil matches and energy all season.

At elite Super 500 and above, the field cuts far deeper than 70.

But for the tier of tournaments Aidil Sholeh currently competes at, the jump matters.

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