The French Open 2025 Super 750 turned into a sobering reality check for Indian badminton.
Despite entering the tournament with strong form and high expectations, India’s campaign ended by Thursday, with no players advancing beyond the Round of 16. The event, held at the Glaz Arena in Cesson-Sévigné, was a crucial stop in the BWF World Tour calendar, offering nearly $950,000 in prize money and vital ranking points for the Race to Guangzhou. Yet, India’s top names including Lakshya Sen and the World No. 3 men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty failed to deliver, underscoring both a tactical and psychological fragility that continues to haunt the national contingent.
India’s performance in France revealed a split narrative: youthful progress on one hand, elite underperformance on the other.
Unnati Hooda, the 18-year-old emerging star of Indian women’s singles, showed poise and maturity in her first-round win over Malaysia’s Letshanaa Karupathevan, recovering from a shaky start to win 11–21, 21–13, 21–16. The victory earned her a respectable 4,320 BWF points and showcased her resilience under pressure.
Similarly, the mixed doubles duo of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde impressed in their opener against Ukraine’s Oleksii Titov and Yevheniia Kantemyr, before falling in a hard-fought Round of 16 contest. But these developmental bright spots were overshadowed by the early exits of the established stars. Lakshya Sen’s Round of 32 loss to Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen and the shock defeat of Satwik/Chirag to Indonesia’s Rahmat Hidayat–Muhammad Rian Ardianto effectively ended India’s title hopes midway through the week.
Unnati Hooda’s Steady Climb
Hooda’s pre-quarterfinal appearance was one of India’s few positives. Her ability to rebound after losing the first game against Karupathevan demonstrated tactical maturity beyond her years. However, her next-round clash with World No. 2 Wang Zhiyi exposed the gap that still separates her from the top echelon. Hooda went down 14–21, 11–21 in just 39 minutes, unable to replicate the intensity she displayed earlier in the week. Interestingly, she had pushed Wang to three games earlier in the season at the Singapore Open Super 750, indicating that fatigue may have been a decisive factor in the French encounter.
Despite the defeat, the young shuttler’s Top-35 ranking remains stable, and her consistent entry into the R16 stage at higher-tier events suggests India’s women’s singles pipeline is showing renewed promise albeit with a need for enhanced stamina and conditioning to close the gap against top-10 opponents.
In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde produced one of India’s most entertaining matches of the tournament. Facing the French fifth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, the Indians snatched a thrilling first game 23–21, displaying sharp anticipation and chemistry at the net. But the match’s 75-minute duration proved punishing. A dramatic second-game collapse (8–21) revealed a familiar physical deficit, with the French pair exploiting India’s fatigue to regain control.
Although Kapoor and Gadde rallied in the decider (17–21), their inability to sustain intensity through three games cost them a maiden Super 750 quarterfinal. The pair’s R16 finish still yielded valuable ranking points and $3,000 in prize money, confirming their potential. The next step, however, is clear improved multi-game endurance training to withstand the high-speed rotational demands of mixed doubles at this level.
The most concerning storyline remains Lakshya Sen’s recurring inconsistency. Sen crashed out 7–21, 16–21 to Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen an opponent he had beaten just a week earlier at the Denmark Open. The defeat marked Sen’s 11th first-round loss in 17 BWF tournaments this season a staggering statistic for a player once seen as India’s next global singles contender. His unforced errors, impatient attacking choices, and inability to reset under pressure point to a psychological barrier rather than a technical one.
Given his recent runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open, Sen’s regression in France underscores a recurring pattern: impressive peaks followed by avoidable collapses. The 2,660 BWF points from this early exit are barely enough to maintain his current ranking, leaving his qualification for the World Tour Finals in serious jeopardy.
For Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the French Open was supposed to be a reaffirmation of dominance. The duo, former champions at this very event (2022 and 2024), entered as top seeds and heavy favorites. Instead, they exited shockingly early falling 18–21, 20–22 to Indonesia’s Hidayat and Ardianto in straight games. The defeat was particularly jarring given their consistent season, which included multiple finals and semi-final appearances. Fatigue may again have played a role; the pair had contested three major events in as many weeks leading up to France. Combined with the mounting pressure to convert deep runs into titles, the result revealed both physical and psychological wear.
Though they remain World No. 3 in the Race to Guangzhou, the missed 3,390 ranking points from a potential quarterfinal finish allows their nearest rivals, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang of China, to close the gap.
The Broader Picture: Points Lost, Lessons Needed
At a structural level, the French Open reinforced the importance of consistency over sporadic brilliance. The steep points differential between early and late-round exits 2,660 for R32 vs. 6,050 for QF finishes means that one poor week can derail a season-long ranking strategy. India’s elite players now face an uphill climb in the final leg of the World Tour, with the BWF Finals qualification window closing fast. Sen must reach at least one Super 750 semifinal to stay in contention, while Satwik-Chirag need to convert a final or title soon to preserve seeding advantage.
For the developmental group Hooda and Kapoor/Gadde the mandate is clear: strengthen physical durability to sustain performance across multiple matches in a week. The French Open 2025 was not merely a disappointing tournament it was a warning shot. The twin challenges of mental consistency among the elites and physical endurance among the emerging generation define the current state of Indian badminton.
Satwik-Chirag Crash Out in First Round of French Open 2025: A Rare Early Exit for India’s Top Duo
For India to remain a serious force on the world circuit, systemic corrections are urgent. That means sports psychology programs for players like Sen, tactical reinforcement for doubles combinations, and a renewed focus on conditioning for rising talents. As the tour moves into its final stretch, the message from France is unmistakable: Indian badminton’s depth is growing, but until consistency replaces volatility, podiums at the Super 750 and Super 1000 levels will remain elusive.
