Indian badminton is ending the first week of October on a high not just with established stars, but through a new wave of emerging talent making headlines across continents.
From the desert courts of Al Ain, UAE, to the windy halls of Rotterdam, Netherlands, Indian badminton youngsters are proving that the next generation is ready to step out of the shadows.
At the Al Ain Masters Super 100, India has guaranteed two finals spots one in women’s singles and another in men’s doubles while at the Dutch Open, 17-year-old Tara Shah produced the biggest win of her young career, defeating the tournament’s top seed to reach her maiden senior final.
For a week where experience and youth walked hand in hand, Indian badminton’s depth was on full display.
Arjun and Hariharan: The New Doubles Force in Making
If there’s one story that captures India’s quiet rise in doubles, it’s the run of M. Arjun and S. Hariharan.
The men’s doubles pair stormed into the finals of the Al Ain Masters after a hard-fought 20-22, 21-14, 21-16 victory over Singapore’s Kubo/Koh, ranked inside the world’s top 60.
This result isn’t just another semifinal win; it’s a statement from a duo that’s steadily climbing the BWF ladder. The pair has grown more consistent with every outing their defensive coordination, counter-attacking blocks, and intelligent midcourt rotations were on full display in Al Ain.
Their journey to the final hasn’t been easy. Earlier in the tournament, they defeated the third-seeded Malaysian pair (world No. 47), one of the best wins of their partnership so far.
With their current world ranking of 78, Arjun/Hariharan are eyeing a top-50 breakthrough this season. Their final clash against Indonesia’s Raymond and Nikolaus on October 5 promises to test their composure under pressure, but win or lose, they’ve already underlined their potential as India’s next elite pairing behind Satwik/Chirag and Dhruv/Arjun.
Tasnim Mir vs Shriyanshi Valishetty: A New Chapter in Indian Women’s Singles
While doubles celebrates its moment in the UAE, it’s the women’s singles draw at Al Ain that has captured the imagination.
For the third straight year, India has produced an all-Indian final in a BWF Super 100 tournament.
In 2022, Unnati Hooda beat Smit Toshniwal in Odisha.
In 2023, Unnati did it again, defeating Samiya Imad Farooqui in Abu Dhabi.
And now, in 2025, it’s Tasnim Mir vs Shriyanshi Valishetty in Al Ain a showdown between two promising young shuttlers on divergent but equally fascinating paths.
Tasnim’s Comeback Story
For Tasnim Mir, this final marks a resurgence. Once hailed as India’s next big thing after becoming World No. 1 in junior rankings in 2022, she endured two uneven seasons marred by inconsistency and injury.
In Al Ain, she reminded everyone of her class. Her semifinal win over Neslihan Arin of Turkey ranked inside the world’s top 60 was a classic comeback. Tasnim was outplayed in the opening game 9–21 but flipped the script with smart, flat rallies and sharper net coverage to win 21–17, 21–10.
It was a performance built on composure a sign that the 20-year-old from Gujarat is rediscovering her mental edge as much as her physical rhythm.
Valishetty’s Breakthrough Moment
Facing her will be Shriyanshi Valishetty, who produced arguably her best senior performance yet. In the semifinals, she dismantled Indonesia’s Chiara Handoyo, the 2023 World Junior silver medallist, in straight games 21–11, 21–12.
Valishetty’s sharp down-the-line smashes and deceptive slices kept her opponent guessing throughout. Her run to the final caps a strong year of progress, and with a head-to-head record of 0–2 against Tasnim (both losses in 2022 and 2023), she will be eager to turn the tables this time.
This all-Indian final the third in as many seasons reinforces the depth of women’s singles talent emerging beyond India’s established seniors like Sindhu, Malvika, and Ashmita.
Tara Shah’s Dutch Delight
If Al Ain belonged to India’s southern and western prodigies, the Netherlands witnessed the rebirth of a northern star.
At the Dutch Open 2025, Tara Shah stunned top-seed and World No. 47 Wen Yu Zhang of Canada 21–17, 23–21 to reach her first-ever senior international final.
Once touted as one of India’s brightest juniors, Tara’s transition to senior level had been uneven flashes of promise overshadowed by inconsistency. But in Rotterdam, she found her balance, rhythm, and belief. Her attacking play and aggressive court positioning were key against Zhang, whose defensive style often frustrates opponents.
For Tara, this victory was more than just a semifinal win it was a personal vindication. It’s her first major final at the BWF level and her most significant scalp to date.
A Tournament of Many Positives
The Al Ain Masters has been a strong campaign for India across categories. Five Indian women’s singles players reached the quarterfinals, and three Indian pairs each made the last eight in both men’s and women’s doubles.
In men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth, Mithun Manjunath, and Saneeth Dayanand all made deep runs with Dayanand’s upset of top-seed Justin Hoh (WR 42) standing out as one of the tournament’s biggest surprises.
India’s presence in multiple semifinals and finals across two continents in one week shows a rare blend of experience and bench strength. It also underlines how the BAI’s rotational exposure policy sending young players to Super 100 and 300 events is finally paying dividends.
For Indian badminton, these results mark a quiet but significant transition. The veterans Sindhu, Srikanth, and Satwik-Chirag remain flagbearers, but the bench behind them is starting to fill with names who are unafraid of world-ranked opponents.
Tara Shah’s calm in the Netherlands, Valishetty’s control in Al Ain, Tasnim’s resilience, and Arjun-Hariharan’s discipline together, they tell a story of a system maturing beyond one generation.
As India looks ahead to the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2027 Asian Championships, the message from this week is clear:
The next wave isn’t coming it’s already here.
