Australian Open 2025 Men’s Singles Final Preview: Lakshya Sen vs Yushi Tanaka

The stage is set in Sydney for a fascinating Australian Open 2025 Super 500 final, pitting two players at very different phases of their careers and of their week against each other.

India’s Lakshya Sen, world No. 14, marches into his fourth Super 500 final, carrying the momentum of a thrilling comeback win in the semifinals. On the other side stands Japan’s Yushi Tanaka, world No. 26, who has not only reached his maiden Super 500 final but has also ensured Japan’s remarkable streak of men’s singles finalists continues for the third straight Super 500 tournament.

With both players seeking career-defining victories, Sunday’s final promises to be a fierce contest of contrasting styles, energies, and ambitions.

Tanaka’s Breakthrough: A Maiden Super 500 Final

For 25-year-old Yushi Tanaka, this final represents the biggest opportunity of his career so far. Long considered a player capable of sharp bursts of brilliance but lacking sustained impact on the world stage, Tanaka has rewritten his narrative over the last two months. This week in Sydney, he has been nothing short of spectacular fast, fearless, and ruthlessly efficient.

What makes Tanaka especially dangerous in the final is the manner in which he has progressed. He has not dropped a single game all tournament.

• R32: d. top seed Jonatan Christie | 21-17, 21-7
• R16: d. Sholeh Aidil | 21-15, 21-12
• QF: d. Rasmus Gemke | 22-20, 21-13
• SF: d. Lin Chun-Yi | 21-18, 21-15

Every win was in straight games. Every performance reinforced his growing reputation as a dynamic, high-tempo shot maker capable of breaking open a match within minutes. His win over Christie finishing the second game 21–7—underlined his new-found confidence and the high-risk, high-reward style that increasingly delivers on bigger stages.

Tanaka now carries the distinction of being part of Japan’s consistent presence at the business end of men’s singles Super 500 events continuing a national run that began at the Korea Masters 2025. For Japanese badminton, he represents the next wave of challengers capable of taking on the Indonesian, Chinese, and Indian powerhouses.

Lakshya Sen: A Fourth Super 500 Final, and a Shot at Redemption

For Lakshya Sen, finals at this level are familiar territory. This is his fourth Super 500 final, and he has already lifted the trophy twice. But what makes this week especially meaningful for Sen is the sense of timing. He has been quietly rebuilding after a turbulent first half of the 2025 season, and since the World Championships, he has looked sharper, more stable, and far more confident in tight moments.

His semifinal win over world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen was one of the grittiest of his career. Down a game, down match points, Sen dug deep to take the second game 24–22 and rode that momentum to close out the third. That 86-minute war highlighted everything that defines him as a competitor resilience, patience, and ice-cold composure under pressure.

His tournament stats reflect his growing maturity:

• Win rate: 59.6%
• Chance of winning in two games: 61.3%
• Points possession: 51.9%

He has also reached a final for the second time in 10 weeks, indicating a stable, upward trend.

But the biggest challenge he now faces is physical. Unlike Tanaka’s smooth run, Sen has played multiple long matches, and his semifinal effort, though heroic, adds weight to Sunday’s contest.

This will be the first-ever meeting between Sen and Tanaka, making the tactical battle entirely fresh.

Sen’s Keys to Victory

Control the net from the start: Slow starts have cost him early leads this tournament. Against Tanaka’s speed, losing Game 1 could be fatal.

Extend rallies selectively: He cannot afford another 80-minute match, but he must still force Tanaka into uncomfortable defensive positions.

Neutralize Tanaka’s pace with varied lifts and blocks: If he can draw errors from the Japanese attacker, the momentum can shift quickly.

Tanaka’s Keys to Victory

Start fast and hit hard: Sen is most vulnerable in the early stages. An 11–5 start could change the whole match.

Attack Sen’s deep backhand corner: Tanaka thrives when he dictates angles and speed.

Keep rallies short: His straight-game dominance so far gives him a physical advantage he must maximize.

Both players come into the final with confidence, but in different shades. Sen carries the emotional high of surviving a thriller and the reassurance of experience. Tanaka carries the swagger of a first-time finalist who has been breezing past the draw.

The first 10 minutes may decide the direction of the entire match.

For Lakshya Sen: A third Super 500 title, a major boost to his push for the top 10, and a symbolic marker of his resurgence.

For Yushi Tanaka: A career-defining triumph, a first Super 500 crown, and validation that he belongs among the world’s elite.

With contrasting energies, styles, and journeys converging on one court, the Australian Open 2025 final promises a thrilling climax a clash between Sen’s resilience and Tanaka’s explosiveness, between experience and hunger, between two players seeking the biggest breakthrough of their season.

A spectacular showdown awaits.