Day 1 of the Yonex Belgian International 2026 brought plenty of action to Nieuwpoort, with a full day of exciting matches and a great atmosphere in the stands. Thanks to our amazing team, we were able to kick off the tournament exactly as planned.
And there was plenty of Belgian action to enjoy. With no fewer than 15 Belgian matches on the schedule, the home crowd had plenty of reasons to get behind our players. Match after match, the players were welcomed onto court by enthusiastic supporters, creating some great moments throughout the day.
One of those moments came from 16-year-old Seppe Daemers, who managed to win his first match at the YonexBI. A fantastic opening for the young Belgian and a great way to make his mark on the tournament.
The women’s singles also brought a special family moment, as sisters Noa and Lea Dauphinais took to the court one after another. Both gave it their all in front of the home crowd, making it a memorable evening for the Belgian family.
The Belgian evening was rounded off by Belgian champion Baptiste Rolin. After a strong start to his evening, he faced one of the true veterans of the YonexBI: Spain’s Pablo Abian. Abian has played so many editions of the tournament that he has lost count himself — making him a particularly experienced YonexBI opponent. It was a tough final challenge for Rolin, but another valuable experience on the international stage.
There were also some interesting international stories on court.
Tara Shah is back at the YonexBI after making it all the way from the qualifiers to the quarter-finals in 2025. She has once again put herself in a strong position to make it far into the main draw.
Dutch junior Flora Wang also showed plenty of fighting spirit, while David Kim is hoping to repeat his 2025 run, when he reached the last 16 after coming through the qualifiers.
In mixed doubles, Lundsgaard is taking on a new challenge this year. After winning the men’s doubles last year, he has switched to mixed doubles alongside Petersen — and the new partnership has already made a strong impression.
And now, the main draw begins! Tomorrow morning at 9 AM, Julien Carraggi gets his YonexBI campaign underway — and he could use your support from the stands.
Don’t forget to get your tickets. See you tomorrow in Nieuwpoort!