French Men’s Singles and Doubles Badminton Star
Toma Junior Popov
France
Player Event: Men’s singles and men’s doubles
Date of Birth: 29 September 1998, Sofia, Bulgaria
Playing Style: Right-handed all-rounder standing 1.96 m tall, with steep smashes, huge reach and a rare two-discipline game across singles and doubles
Known For: 2025 European men’s doubles champion with brother Christo, 2026 China Open Super 1000 finalist and the historic 2017 European Junior treble
Coach: Toma Popov (father)
Understanding Toma Junior Popov (French Badminton Star)
Toma Junior Popov represents France in both men’s singles and men’s doubles badminton at the highest international level. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria and raised in a badminton family in Fos-sur-Mer, the 1.96 m right-hander is a European champion in doubles with his brother Christo, a Super 1000 finalist in singles, and a career-high world No. 13 in singles.
Early Life in Sofia and Junior Career
Toma Junior Popov was born on 29 September 1998 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Badminton runs in his blood: his father Toma is a former Bulgarian and French national player who became his coach, his mother Tzvetomira is a national badminton umpire, and his younger brother Christo Popov is one of the world’s top singles players. Toma Junior started playing at eight years old and won his school championship at nine.
A Badminton Family
The family settled in Fos-sur-Mer, France, where the brothers trained at the local club. Toma Junior collected junior titles across Europe and announced himself at the 2015 European Junior Championships in Lubin, winning boys’ singles bronze — losing his semi-final to Denmark’s Anders Antonsen.
Junior Titles Across Europe
In 2017 in Mulhouse, he made history: gold in boys’ singles, gold in boys’ doubles with Thom Gicquel, and gold with the French team. Toma Junior became the first non-Danish male player ever to complete the European Junior Championships treble, joining Peter Gade, Jim Laugesen and Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen as the only men to achieve it.
The Historic Treble
In July 2026, Toma Junior Popov reached the biggest final of his career at the China Open, a Super 1000 event — the highest tier of the BWF World Tour. It was the breakthrough his years of consistency had promised.
Career Milestone #1
China Open Super 1000 Final
In the final he pushed Chinese Taipei veteran Chou Tien Chen all the way, storming back to take the second game 21–7 before falling 15–21, 21–7, 13–21. A Super 1000 singles final confirmed the tall Frenchman belongs in the sport’s elite — all while he was also playing a full men’s doubles schedule.
Young players watching from France, Malaysia, Singapore and across the world could see that his success came from complete preparation — a game built over a decade, physical conditioning for two disciplines, and the patience to keep knocking on the door until it opened.
Career Milestone #2
Six European Championship Medals
No French player owns a European Championships medal collection like Toma Junior Popov’s. He has won six individual medals at the continental championships: men’s singles silver in 2024 and 2025, singles bronze in 2022 and 2026, men’s doubles gold in 2025 and doubles silver in 2026.
The gold came at the 2025 Europeans in Horsens, where he and Christo beat fellow Frenchmen Éloi Adam and Léo Rossi in an all-French final. He also won bronze medals in both singles and doubles at the 2023 European Games, and singles bronze at the 2018 Mediterranean Games.
His European medals prove sustained excellence at continental level across two disciplines, earning respect from fans throughout France, Malaysia, Singapore and the global badminton community.
Career Milestone #3
Paris Olympics and French Team Glory
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Toma Junior Popov competed in men’s doubles alongside his brother Christo in front of a home crowd — a family dream fulfilled on the sport’s biggest stage.
His team record is just as rich. In 2026 he helped France win the European Men’s Team Championships gold, breaking Denmark’s long dominance, and reached the Thomas Cup final for the first time in French history, taking silver behind China.
His success continued into 2026 with singles finals at the German Open and Orléans Masters and the China Open Super 1000 final. His consistency against top players from China, Indonesia, Denmark and Japan marks him as a genuine contender in every draw he enters.
Career Milestone #4
World No. 13 in Two Disciplines
Toma Junior Popov reached a career-high world No. 13 in the BWF men’s singles rankings in September 2025 — and he holds that same No. 13 spot in the Week 43 rankings released on 20 October 2026, with 62,697 points. Alongside Christo he has also climbed to world No. 16 in men’s doubles, one of very few players ranked at elite level in two disciplines.
Managing a full season in two disciplines requires intelligent planning of tournament peaks, careful recovery, and staying physically and mentally ready for important events like the European Championships, Thomas Cup and Super 1000 tournaments.
Playing Style
The Towering All-Rounder Style
At 1.96 metres, Toma Junior Popov is one of the tallest players on the world tour, and he uses every centimetre: huge reach at the net, steep smash angles from the rear court and the ability to intercept shots other players cannot reach. His right-handed power game is built on that frame.
What makes him unusual is that his doubles career has sharpened his singles: flat fast exchanges, sharp net skills and quick defensive reactions come straight from top-level men’s doubles, while his singles patience and rally craft feed back into the pair game.
Young players studying his matches can observe how he constructs points before attacking, uses his reach without relying on it, and reads the game across two disciplines. His approach shows that a complete skill set beats one big weapon.
Mental Strength
Two Disciplines, One Relentless Standard
Playing two disciplines at world level means twice the matches, twice the travel load and half the recovery time of his rivals. Toma Junior has sustained it for years through disciplined conditioning and a family coaching structure built around the Fos-sur-Mer club.
His resilience shows most in defeat: he lost the 2024 Hylo Open and 2026 German Open singles finals to his own younger brother Christo — then walked back on court beside him to keep winning doubles titles together. Competing against family without letting it damage the partnership is its own discipline.
Practical lessons from his journey include building the body before chasing results, treating every discipline as training for the other, and understanding that consistency across a decade — not one hot week — builds a career.
Learning Reference
ST Badminton Academy Connection
ST Badminton Academy has no official partnership or endorsement from Toma Junior Popov. He is not connected to our academy in any way. However, coaches at ST Badminton Academy in Kuala Lumpur point to his all-round development — world class in both singles and doubles — as exactly the complete foundation we try to build in our juniors.
Many of our students from Malaysia and visiting learners from Singapore study his matches to understand how reach, angles and net skills work in practice. His journey from a badminton family in Sofia to finals on the world tour reminds them that champions are built through daily professional routines.
We encourage our students to observe his steep smashes, net interceptions, and two-discipline work ethic. While he is not affiliated with our academy, his career demonstrates what a professional family training environment can produce.
FAQs: Toma Junior Popov French Badminton Player
Here are answers to common questions about Toma Junior Popov’s career, achievements and what young players can learn from his journey.
Who is Toma Junior Popov and which country does he represent in badminton?
Toma Junior Popov is a French professional badminton player competing in men’s singles and men’s doubles. Born on 29 September 1998 in Sofia, Bulgaria, the 1.96 m right-hander is the 2025 European men’s doubles champion with his brother Christo, a 2026 China Open Super 1000 finalist, and a career-high world No. 13 in singles.
What are Toma Junior Popov’s biggest badminton achievements?
His major achievements include the 2025 European Championships men’s doubles gold (with Christo Popov), six individual European Championships medals, the 2026 China Open Super 1000 final, four BWF World Tour titles, European Games bronzes in singles and doubles in 2023, and the historic 2017 European Junior treble.
What is Toma Junior Popov’s playing style?
Toma Junior Popov plays a right-handed all-round game built on his 1.96 m frame: steep smashes, huge reach and strong net interceptions, sharpened by playing elite men’s doubles alongside his singles career.
Did Toma Junior Popov compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Yes — Toma Junior Popov competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics in men’s doubles with his brother Christo, representing the host nation France. The brothers later converted that Olympic experience into the 2025 European doubles title.
How can my child learn from Toma Junior Popov’s training approach?
Young players can study Toma Junior Popov’s approach by watching how he uses his height intelligently, constructs rallies before attacking, and keeps the same standards across singles and doubles. His career shows the importance of complete skill development. At ST Badminton Academy, coaches use his all-round game as a reference.
Did Toma Junior Popov win any junior titles?
Toma Junior Popov made junior history at the 2017 European Junior Championships in Mulhouse, winning boys’ singles gold, boys’ doubles gold with Thom Gicquel, and team gold — the first non-Danish man ever to complete the treble. He had earlier won boys’ singles bronze at the 2015 European Juniors.
What are Toma Junior Popov’s best European Championships results?
Toma Junior Popov has won six individual European Championships medals: men’s singles silver in 2024 and 2025, singles bronze in 2022 and 2026, men’s doubles gold in 2025 and doubles silver in 2026.
What playing style should young players learn from Toma Junior Popov?
Young players should study Toma Junior Popov’s complete game rather than just his smash. His success comes from reach used patiently, net skills borrowed from doubles, and choosing the right moment to attack. Most importantly, his career shows that footwork, defensive reliability and shot quality must be built first.
Does ST Badminton Academy have any connection with Toma Junior Popov?
No, Toma Junior Popov is not a student, coach or ambassador of ST Badminton Academy. He represents France and is coached by his father Toma Popov at Fos-sur-Mer. However, coaches at our academy in Kuala Lumpur use his work ethic, all-round skills and competitive intensity as a learning reference for our students.
Toma Junior Popov Career Highlights
Career Statistics and Rankings
Toma Junior Popov, born 29 September 1998 in Sofia, Bulgaria, has become one of France's most decorated badminton players. A 1.96 m right-handed all-rounder coached by his father Toma Popov, he holds world No. 13 in October 2026 — his career high — with the 2025 European doubles title, six European Championships medals, four BWF World Tour titles and the 2026 China Open Super 1000 final.
| Development Area | Common Misconception | What Toma Junior Popov's Career Shows REALITY |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Foundation | Talent alone decides who becomes a champion. | Toma Junior completed the European Junior treble in 2017 — singles, doubles and team gold in Mulhouse — the first non-Danish man ever to do it, built on years of structured family training in Fos-sur-Mer. |
| Two Disciplines | Top players must specialise in one event early. | Toma Junior reached world No. 13 in singles AND won the 2025 European men's doubles gold with his brother Christo — skills from each discipline sharpen the other. |
| Physical Gifts | Being tall guarantees success at the net and rear court. | At 1.96 m, Toma Junior still built elite footwork, defence and net touch — height only pays off when the movement and skills underneath are trained. |
| Fitness Importance | Playing two events is just double the fun. | Singles plus doubles means more matches every single week. Toma Junior's conditioning and scheduling are what make the double load survivable season after season. |
| Family Rivalry | Losing a final to your own brother ends the partnership. | Toma Junior lost the 2024 Hylo Open and 2026 German Open singles finals to his brother Christo — then kept winning doubles medals alongside him. Compete hard, stay family. |
| Continental Milestones | Only world titles matter. | Six European Championships medals, European Games bronzes and a Thomas Cup silver with France in 2026 — continental and team milestones build a career step by step. |
| Career Timeline | Champions peak once and fade fast. | From the junior treble in 2017 to his first Super 1000 final at 27 in 2026, Toma Junior's biggest result arrived nearly a decade after his junior peak — proof that sustained development wins. |
Study Toma Junior Popov's Work Ethic and Professional Approach
This profile explains who Toma Junior Popov is, his major achievements, and what developing players can learn from his journey. ST Badminton Academy Malaysia encourages students to study how world-class athletes like him combine all-round skills, exceptional fitness, and long-term commitment to reach elite level. While we are not connected to Toma Junior Popov, his career provides valuable lessons — especially that mastering the complete game, in singles and doubles, opens doors that one big shot never will.
