There was disappointment for France’s Christo Popov at the POLYTRON Indonesia Open 2026, as the fourth seed suffered a first-round defeat at the Super 1000 tournament in Jakarta.

Popov was beaten by Hong Kong China's Lee Cheuk Yiu in three games, going down 15-21 21-19 11-21 after 64 minutes of play. The result makes him one of the highest-profile casualties of the opening round.

There was better news for his older brother, Toma Junior Popov, who progressed to the second round after Thailand’s second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn retired with the Frenchman leading 5-1 in the opening game. Popov will now face the winner of the match between India’s H.S. Prannoy and Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen.

The Popov brothers have already enjoyed success in Jakarta this week in men’s doubles. On Tuesday, they were the only European pair to secure a victory in the opening round, advancing to the last 16. Their reward is a tough clash against the top-seeded Korean pair Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae.

While Christo Popov's tournament ended in the opening round, Toma Junior continues his campaign in Jakarta and will now turn his attention to both his second-round singles match and a blockbuster doubles encounter alongside his brother.