A running joke between Singapore’s top-ranked men’s doubles shuttlers Wesley Koh and Junsuke Kubo is that the shade of Koh’s hair coincides with an uptick in form on court.
The pair snagged their first international title at the Polish International 2024 with Koh sporting a platinum blonde look, before he went fully blonde in September 2025 during a run that saw the duo reach the semi-finals of the Al Ain Masters 2025 and Sydney International, culminating in their biggest victory to date at the Mangalore India International Challenge.
Set to compete at the May 12-17 Thailand Open and May 19-24 Malaysia Masters, both Super 500 events, and qualifying into the main draw of the May 26-31 KFF Singapore Badminton Open presented by JK Technology by virtue of ranking, the world No.42 duo are once again embracing both substance and style as they eye a breakthrough run.
“This year is the last time (the KFF Singapore Open) a Super 750 event, it’s even more special, and we are excited to perform and play,” Koh said, noting that the pair last featured in the qualification rounds of the 2022 edition when it was still a Super 500 event.
And this time, Koh will be rocking a “sakura pink” hairdo under the OCBC Arena lights.
His fresh cut has even drawn comparisons from Kubo to iconic anime character Yuji Itadori, the protagonist of the wildly popular Japanese manga series Jujutsu Kaisen.
“He’s like the Black Flash,” Kubo said, referring to the fictional character’s move that is a display of immense speed and skill.
And it is that same explosiveness the pair display on court that has propelled them up the world rankings — from 785 in early 2022, when they entered the Asian Team Championships in Selangor, to breaking into the top 50 in January.
Koh credits his style of play to former world No. 1 pairing Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon, who earned the moniker “the Minions” for their agility and flair while being of relatively smaller stature.
“I like his playstyle, and I try to emulate it. The flair and the speed of play. I think that’s quite similar to our game plan as well. A lot of his front-court interceptions, predictions and smart tricks are something that I want to learn from him,” Koh said.
But beyond the rankings, the pair are looking to build a long and sustainable career in the sport.
And another pair on tour has provided the shining example of consistency — current world No.1s and 2025 world champions Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae.
“I admire them the most because they’re able to perform consistently and maintain that level at every tournament throughout the year,” Koh said.
In fact, the Singaporean pair crossed swords with the South Koreans as recently as April in the round of 16 of the Asian Championships.
After conceding the first game, they pushed the eventual winners in the second, leading 17-12 at one point, but the Koreans clawed their way back to 20-20 and saw out the win.
“For us as young players, we are definitely the ones chasing them, using whatever energy we have to try and beat them. But because of the amount of experience they have, they are much calmer and know what to do at the right moments in a game,” Koh said.
Despite the loss, it was not all negative for the Singaporeans, who took away valuable lessons from competing against the world’s best.
“What we learnt from all these top players is definitely their mindset and how they can control their emotions and attitude on court to influence the outcome of the game.”
Kubo added, “They are consistent throughout the year and can win almost every tournament they play. I don’t know how it’s possible. Somehow, even when they look like they are losing, they still end up winning.”
Thankfully, the pair are not alone in their journey, with renowned coach Paulus Firman in their corner.
Firman has previously worked with the national teams of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, while also coaching former world champions Toh Ee Wei and Chen Tang Jie, as well as Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
“What he brings to the table is definitely his experience. He has gone through so many coaching stints and tournaments. He has encountered a lot of different scenarios. I think his experience and sharing with us also helps us to be prepared for what may come,” Koh said.
“We are the oldest (men’s doubles) in the national team now. We don’t have a top pair to look up to. We rely on our coach to give us these inputs so that we know that we are not walking alone in this path,” he added.
The national champions will go into their home Open buoyed by a “special” first title together at January’s Singapore National Open Championships.
“It was a statement win to show people around us and even ourselves that we are the best,” Koh said, with the pair losing at the final hurdle in last year’s edition to national teammates Howin Wong and Loh Kean Hean.
Another factor providing a timely boost to their confidence is one of their biggest scalps on tour, having come from behind to defeat Chinese Taipei’s world No. 16 pair Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan 2-1 in the round of 32 of the Asian Championships.
“They are a top-20 pair and very strong opponents. We managed to break through and finally beat one of those world-class players,” Kubo said.
The pair have produced a string of spirited performances against top opponents in recent months — taking a game off current world No. 7 duo Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani at December’s Southeast Asian Games, before pushing world No. 4 pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to a pair of 21-19 games at March’s Swiss Open ahead of their breakthrough win over Lee and Yang.
“Now we are playing in the bigger tournaments, so we basically have to beat top players consistently. I think performing consistently at the Super 300, 500, 750 and 1000 events is the difference between a top-40 player and a top-30 player,” Koh explained.
And if Koh’s freshly-bleached pink locks are anything to go by, they might also have Lady Luck on their side.
