Fajar Alfian

Fajar Alfian (born 7 March 1995) is an Indonesian badminton player affiliated with the SGS PLN Bandung. He won the men's doubles silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games, the bronze medals at the 2017 SEA Games, 2019 and 2022 World Championships. He was part of the Indonesia winning team at the 2020 Thomas Cup. He reached a career high of world number 1 in the men's doubles with Muhammad Rian Ardianto on 27 December 2022.

Career
Alfian started his partnership with Muhammad Rian Ardianto in July 2014. In the beginning of their career, they have won international tournaments including the Indonesia International in 2014, 2015, and 2016;  the Austrian International in 2015; and at the BWF Grand Prix level, the 2016 Chinese Taipei Masters.

Alfian was a member of the Indonesia men's team that won gold medals at the 2017 and 2019 SEA Games. He also played with Ardianto, and clinched the men's doubles bronze at that event in 2017. Alfian and Ardianto competed on the BWF World Tour, and won titles at the 2018 Malaysia Masters and the Syed Modi International; and also the 2019 Swiss and Korea Opens. Together with Ardianto he won a bronze medal in the men's doubles at the 2017 SEA Games, the silver at the 2018 Asian Games, and another bronze at the 2019 BWF World Championships.

In February 2020, Alfian alongside Indonesia men's team won the Asia Team Championships held in Manila. In September–October 2021, Alfian alongside Indonesia team competed at the 2021 Sudirman Cup in Vantaa, Finland. He and Ardianto contribute a point in a tie against Canada. Indonesia team advanced to the knockout stage, but lost in the quarter-finals to Malaysia. In the next tournament, he helped Indonesia team won the World Men's Team Championships, the 2020 Thomas Cup.

Alfian and Ardianto kicked off 2022 with a rough start, with early exits at the German Open and the All England. They scored their breakthrough win at the Swiss Open. Afterwards, they won the Indonesia Masters, and Malaysia Masters, and finished as runner-up at Korea Open, Thailand Open, Malaysia Open and Singapore Open. They also won bronze medal at the Asian Championships. In October, they won their fourth title of the year at the Denmark Open in a tight battle against compatriots Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo. Thanks to their achievements, they qualified for their first ever World Tour Finals. Alfian and Ardianto competed at the World Tour Finals as the first seed, but lost to Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi in the semi-finals. They closed off the 2022 World Tour season with a career high rank of world number 1.

2023
In January, Alfian and Ardianto won their first Super 1000 tournament at the Malaysia Open by defeating Chinese pair Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang. The week after, they bowed out of India Open at the semifinals against Malaysians Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, leaving Indonesia without any representatives in any finals. At their home tournament Indonesia Masters, they lost in the quarter-finals against fifth seeds Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi.

In February, Alfian was called up to the Indonesian team for the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships. He and Ardianto lost at the quarterfinals against Korean scratch pair Kim Won-ho and Na Sung-seung

With the Indonesian federation skipping the German Open, Alfian resumed competition at the All England in March. He and Ardianto won their first ever All England title in an all-Indonesian final against Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. At the Spain Masters they lost in the quarter-finals from unseeded Chinese Taipei player Lee Fang-chih and Lee Fang-jen.

In late April, Alfian competed at the Asian Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, but had to lose in the quarter-finals from 8th seed Malaysian pair Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi.

In May, Alfian alongside the Indonesian team competed at the 2023 Sudirman Cup in Suzhou, China. He won a match in the group stage, against Supak Jomkoh and Kittinupong Kedren of Thailand. Indonesia advanced to the knockout stage but lost at the quarterfinals against China. In the following week, Alfian competed in the second Asian Tour at the Malaysia Masters. Unfortunately, he lost in the first round from eventual winner Korean pair Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae.

In June, Alfian competed at the Singapore Open, but lost in the first round from English pair Ben Lane and Sean Vendy. In the next tour, they competed at the home tournament, Indonesia Open, but lost in the quarter finals from 7th seed and eventual champions Indian pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in straight matches.

In July, Alfian competed at the Korea Open, but lost in the final against 3rd seed Indian pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty for second times in a row. In the next tour, he competed at the Japan Open, but lost in the semi-finals against Chinese Taipei pair Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin.

In early August, Alfian competed at the Australian Open, but had to lose in the quarter-finals from 8th seed Korean pair Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae in rubber games. In late August, he competed at the World Championships, but lost in the second round from Taiwanese pair Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan in straight games. Made his second appearance at the Asian Games, Alfian failed to bring home any medals after lost in the quarter-finals in both the men's doubles and team events.

BWF World Championships
Men's doubles

Asian Games
Men's doubles

Asian Championships
Men's doubles

SEA Games
Men's doubles

BWF World Tour (11 titles, 7 runners-up)
The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018, is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and the BWF Tour Super 100.

Men's doubles

BWF Grand Prix (1 title, 2 runners-up)
The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.

Men's doubles
 * BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
 * BWF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series (4 titles)
Men's doubles
 * BWF International Challenge tournament
 * BWF International Series tournament

National team

 * Junior level


 * Senior level

Record against selected opponents
Men's doubles results with Muhammad Rian Ardianto against year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists. Accurate as of 10 October 2023.