Nguyen Tien Minh clears Vietnam Open 2026 qualifiers: At 43, he lets the court tell the story

On early September morning at the Vietnam Open 2026 qualifying round, Nguyen Tien Minh still walked on court with a racket in hand. The 43-year-old former world top-5 player no longer moves as fast as he once did, but he still knows how to read the opponent's racket angle. In this BWF Super 100 tournament held from September 8 to 13, with more than 300 players from 27 countries and territories, Minh defeated younger compatriot Nguyen Hoang Thai Son, a doubles specialist. Minh later admitted that his opponent was not strong in singles but had strength and speed. The win was not a statistical masterpiece, as no smash speed or rally data were available, but it showed that tactical intelligence can compensate for age. Minh is ranked 254th and will face Zhe Ying Wu from Chinese Taipei in the main draw. Meanwhile, Le Duc Phat struggled with knee and heel injuries requiring pain-relief injections, while Nguyen Hai Dang was eliminated in the qualifiers. Nguyen Thuy Linh was set to meet 19-year-old Xu Wen Jing in women's singles. The tournament lacks top Asian stars but provides valuable ranking points for regional players. Veteran Minh's presence raises questions about the next generation of Vietnamese men's singles and whether the national badminton system can move beyond relying on ageing legends.