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Sun, Nov 09, 2025 | Jumada al-Awwal 18, 1447 | Fajr 05:12 | DXB 
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Rising Finnish star Joakim Oldorff wins title and hearts in Al Ain
At 22, Oldorff has pulled off an amazing result, as he came from a game down to beat Malaysian shuttler Aidil Sholeh 14-21, 21-17, 21-7 in the final at Al Ain Masters
Promising Finnish shuttler Joakim Oldorff’s calm and composed demeanour on the court didn’t just fetch him his first Super100 men’s singles title but the hearts of many fans at the Al Ain Masters 2025 on Sunday.
With the same politeness, he obliged his young fans with photographs and autographs at the Al Ain Club.
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But on the court, Oldorff is fiercely ‘competitive’.
“I think my competitiveness and politeness describe me. I like to be respectful with everyone – I want to treat people the way I want them to treat me,” he said.
“It has been an amazing week and amazing crowd! I’m proud at the moment; it’s my second tournament in Abu Dhabi, I ‘m honoured to see such crowd cheering for me.”
At 22, Oldorff has pulled off an amazing result, motivating and guiding himself all by himself. On Sunday, he came from a game down to beat Malaysian shuttler Aidil Sholeh 14-21, 21-17, 21-7 in men’s singles final.
Remarkably, Oldorff won the tournament without the presence of his coach Anu Nieminen in Al Ain.
“It’s not always easy to be without coach but I keep in touch with my coach everyday about matches and talk about strategies," he said.
"I also feel that you learn a lot when you are on your own on the court – you have to be mentally aware what’s happening because no one is telling you,” said Oldorff whose first international title was the Welsh International in 2023.
“This event was special – I have been better handling than before without coach, especially mentally. I just try to keep doing the right things and strictly focus on my game plan – that helps me rather than focusing on my emotions.”
A bronze medallist at European Championships, Oldorff's next goal is the Arctic Open at home.
“I want to be better not just in badminton but in every way. Playing the Olympics is the ultimate goal in badminton,” said the rising star who also trains at Yonex Peter Gade Academy in Denmark.
“I also want to do well at the European Championships next year, but I want to focus one tournament at a time."
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Shriyanshi Valishetty of India produced an inspiring performance to beat Tasnim Mir 15-21, 22-20, 21-7 in a 49-minute women’s singles final. Both players started the match at a slow pace before engaging in some intriguing battles. While Valishetty stayed calm, Mir couldn’t capitalise on her advantage and committed several unforced errors.
“This win was very important for me. I just wanted to give my best. This year I had very bad losses, especially in finals. That’s why I have been talking to my psychologist Aashna (Sundesha) every day. Today, I was not nervous, but I tend to get too hyped up before matches and make mistakes. I tried to stay calm in the match today,” said Valishetty, who has been training at the Gopichand Academy since 2013 and aims to improve her rankings.
Sisters Gabrielle and Stefani Stoeva lived up to their billing, winning their fifth title of the season in Al Ain. They put up a clinical performance to beat juniors Yan Fei Chen and Liang Ching Sun from Chinese Taipei 21-8, 21-13 for the women’s doubles gold.
“We were all focused on the match. We tried to follow the tactic of our coach and just fought as one. If you see the score, it looked easy, but it wasn’t – especially when you are playing Asians,” said Stefani.
“Playing in Al Ain was a different experience – playing in hot weather and in different conditions. Each tournament helps us grow and try different things in our game. Staying healthy is the most important thing for us this year.”
In mixed doubles and men’s doubles, new partners shone as they showcased exceptional skills to win their first BWF Super100 titles together.
Buoyed by strong crowd support, India’s Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun defeated Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin in straight sets 21-17, 21-18 for their first BWF Super100 title as a pair.
Earlier, Indonesia’s Dejan Ferdinansyah and Bernadine Anindiya defeated Wardana Marwan Faza and Aisyah Salsabila Putri Pranata 21-12, 21-16 for their first title together just two months into their partnership.
Overall, it was a successful first edition of the Al Ain Masters 2025, with 300 players from 38 nations competing and returning home with lasting memories from the oasis city of Abu Dhabi.
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