At their final tournament, Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan lost to a younger Indonesian pair they had spent years sharing the circuit with. The score at the 2025 Indonesia Masters-21-9, 22-20 to Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Daniel Marthin-closed a partnership that had produced three world titles, two All England crowns and a nickname that followed them into every arena: “The Daddies.”
For Ahsan, the farewell completed a journey from Palembang’s club courts to world No. 1. His greatest successes came with Setiawan, but his record stretched beyond that partnership: he reached the World Championships podium with three different partners.
From Palembang to Indonesia’s national setup
Born on September 7, 1987, in Palembang, South Sumatra, Ahsan began playing badminton as a child at the local Pusri club. His development later took him through Ragunan sports school and Bina Bangsa before he joined PB Djarum in 2007.
Moving away from local competition meant entering a system where promising doubles players were hardly in short supply. Indonesia already had Olympic and world champions to measure himself against. Coaches including Christian Hadinata, Herry Iman Pierngadi and Aryono Miranat helped shape his game along the way.
A boys’ doubles bronze at the 2005 Asian Junior Championships offered an early indication of his potential. By 2007, he was competing at senior international level with Bona Septano, beginning the partnership that would carry him to his first World Championships medal and Olympic appearance.
Bona Septano and the first major breakthrough
Ahsan and Septano spent several seasons establishing themselves rather than arriving as an immediately dominant pair. Their progress came through tournament play and Indonesia’s demanding team competitions.
Ahsan was part of the squads that won men’s team gold at the 2009 and 2011 SEA Games. He also collected Sudirman Cup bronze in both years and Thomas Cup silver in 2010.
The individual breakthrough came at the 2011 World Championships in London. Ahsan and Septano reached the semi-finals, securing bronze before losing to South Korea’s Ko Sung-hyun and Yoo Yeon-seong.
They returned to London for the 2012 Olympics and reached the quarter-finals, where eventual bronze medallists Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae ended their run.
The partnership had taken Ahsan into the sport’s leading group. A change of partner would take him further.
A new partnership reaches world No. 1
Ahsan teamed up with Hendra Setiawan in 2012. Setiawan already had an Olympic gold medal and a world title from his partnership with Markis Kido; Ahsan brought attacking speed and the ability to create pressure from the rear court.
Their division of work was clear without being rigid. Setiawan could take control around the net, while Ahsan supplied steep attacks and quick changes of direction behind him. Both could turn a flat, hurried exchange into an opening.
Results followed quickly. In 2013, they won the Malaysia Open, Indonesia Open and Singapore Open, then arrived at the World Championships in Guangzhou as serious title contenders.
In the final, they beat Denmark’s Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen 21-13, 23-21. Two years after his bronze with Septano, Ahsan was world champion.
On November 21, 2013, the Indonesians reached world No. 1. They finished the season by winning the BWF World Superseries Finals.
Their first All England title followed in 2014, along with Asian Games men’s doubles gold in Incheon. At the 2015 World Championships in Jakarta, they defeated China’s Liu Xiaolong and Qiu Zihan in the final to claim their second world crown.
Winning that title at home gave the partnership a different sort of occasion: the noise and expectation of an Indonesian crowd, with the championship delivered on its own doorstep.
Separation, and a world final with Rian Agung Saputro
The first spell together ended after 2016. That season included Thomas Cup silver with Indonesia, but disappointment at the Rio Olympics, where Ahsan and Setiawan failed to advance from their group.
Ahsan subsequently partnered Rian Agung Saputro. At the 2017 World Championships in Glasgow, they put together a run to the final, eventually losing to China’s Liu Cheng and Zhang Nan.
The silver medal mattered beyond the result itself. Ahsan had now won World Championships medals with three partners: Septano, Setiawan and Saputro. His success was not solely a product of one combination.
Nevertheless, the partnership with Setiawan still had more to give. They reunited in 2018 and won the Singapore Open that season.
The Daddies’ remarkable second run
By the time they reunited, both men were fathers, and “The Daddies” became their enduring identity among badminton supporters. The nickname was affectionate; their results remained serious.
In 2019, they won the All England again, beating Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the final despite Setiawan dealing with a leg problem during the tournament.
At the World Championships in Basel, Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi pushed them through three contrasting games. Ahsan and Setiawan edged the first 25-23, lost the second 9-21, then recovered to take the decider 21-15.
It was their third world title together, following 2013 and 2015.
They also won the New Zealand Open and ended the season with the World Tour Finals title. Rather than merely extending an established partnership, the reunion had produced another of their strongest seasons.
Their meetings with younger opponents became an important part of the story. Against pairs such as fellow Indonesians Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, they had to manage speed with placement, anticipation and a willingness to change the rhythm.
Olympic disappointment and the final championship runs
An Olympic medal remained missing. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, held in 2021, Ahsan and Setiawan reached the semi-finals but lost to Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin of Chinese Taipei. Defeat to Chia and Soh in the bronze-medal match left them fourth.
Later in 2021, Ahsan was part of Indonesia’s winning Thomas Cup squad. The edition retained its 2020 name after being postponed, making the distinction important in his career record.
There were still major finals ahead. In 2022, he and Setiawan took World Championships silver in Tokyo, losing to Chia and Soh. Ahsan also collected another Thomas Cup silver that year.
They reached the All England final again in 2023, finishing runners-up to compatriots Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto. The trophies were becoming harder to secure, but they continued to find routes through strong draws.
Ahsan announced his retirement in December 2024. His last tournament was the Indonesia Masters in January 2025, where he and Setiawan bowed out in the second round.
The game behind the medals
Ahsan’s attacking role could make him look like the straightforward hitter in the partnership. That missed much of his value.
His effectiveness depended on variation: a full smash, a half-smash, a sudden drop or a drive into the body could come from similar preparation. Opponents could not simply retreat and wait for power.
He was also comfortable in the quick exchanges that define elite men’s doubles. Alongside Setiawan, he helped build points through pressure rather than treating every lift as a demand for an outright winner.
That balance became especially valuable in their later seasons, when experience and shot selection helped them compete against younger, faster combinations.
Family life beyond the court
Ahsan married Christine Novitania in 2013, the year of his first world title. He has publicly shared moments of family life, giving supporters a view of him as a husband and father alongside the tournament player.
“The Daddies” nickname connected those two sides of his life without needing an elaborate sporting persona. On court, he and Setiawan could appear composed even in tense passages; off it, their identity as family men became part of their appeal.
Commercial partnerships also accompanied his career, including an association with equipment brand Victor. But prize-money totals alone do not establish a player’s wealth: doubles earnings, sponsorship income and career expenses are different things, and no reliable public figure captures his overall finances.
His farewell belonged on a badminton court, with Setiawan beside him and an Indonesian crowd watching-the setting that had framed so much of his career.
FAQ
Is Mohammad Ahsan retired?
Yes. He announced his retirement in December 2024 and played his final tournament at the Indonesia Masters in January 2025.
Where was Mohammad Ahsan born?
He was born in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia, on September 7, 1987.
How many world titles did he win?
He won three men’s doubles World Championships titles: in 2013, 2015 and 2019, all with Hendra Setiawan.
Why were Ahsan and Setiawan called “The Daddies”?
Both were fathers. The nickname became widely associated with their partnership, particularly during their successful second spell together.
Who is Mohammad Ahsan’s wife?
He is married to Christine Novitania. They married in 2013.
Did he win an Olympic medal?
No. His best Olympic result was fourth with Setiawan at Tokyo 2020, held in 2021. He also reached the 2012 quarter-finals with Bona Septano.
