Archive · 21 Aug 2026
Nozomi Okuhara Withdraws From World Championships After Surgery Pain
Nozomi Okuhara is a badminton player from Japan.
She had surgery on July 22.
She still hoped to play at the World Championships after recovering for a little more than a month.
She won her earlier match against Ishika Jaiswal in three games.
After that match, pain from her surgery became too hard to handle.
Okuhara therefore could not play her quarterfinal against Pornpawee Chochuwong.
Chochuwong advanced to the semifinals and earned her first World Championships medal.
Okuhara has previously won a world title and a silver medal.
Nozomi Okuhara withdrew from her World Championships quarterfinal against Pornpawee Chochuwong because postoperative pain became too difficult to manage.
The 31-year-old Japanese player had undergone surgery on July 22, after giving PV Sindhu a walkover at the Japan Open.
Okuhara reached the quarterfinals after a 57-minute, three-game match against USA’s Ishika Jaiswal.
Her withdrawal sent Chochuwong into the semifinals and guaranteed the Thai player her first World Championships medal.
Okuhara is a former world champion, having won gold in 2017 and silver in 2019.
- Who
- Japanese badminton player Nozomi Okuhara and Thai player Pornpawee Chochuwong were central to the incident.
- What
- Okuhara withdrew from her World Championships quarterfinal because of pain following surgery.
- When
- The withdrawal occurred during the reported World Championships; Okuhara’s surgery took place on July 22.
- Where
- The incident occurred at the BWF World Championships; the article does not specify the host location.
- Why
- Pain from Okuhara’s recent surgery became too difficult for her to manage after her previous match.
- Player
- Nozomi Okuhara, 31, from Japan
- Opponent
- Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand
- Surgery date
- July 22
- Previous match
- A 57-minute, three-game win over Ishika Jaiswal
- Result of withdrawal
- Chochuwong advanced to the semifinals
- Previous world medals
- Gold in 2017 and silver in 2019
- Recent form
- Semifinalist at the Australian Open and winner of the Orleans Masters