The Macau Open 2025, a BWF Super 300 tournament held from July 29 to August 3 at the Macao East Asian Games Dome, offered Indian badminton fans a blend of hope and disappointment.
With a total prize pool of USD 370,000 and crucial world ranking points on offer, the tournament attracted a competitive field, giving India’s top-ranked players and rising talents a chance to test themselves mid-season.
As of July 30, 2025, early results show a pattern of mixed fortunes: some Indian players and pairs advanced confidently, while others exited early against higher-ranked or in-form opponents. Here’s a detailed look at how India’s campaign unfolded across categories.
Tournament Overview
The Macau Open, officially known as the Sands China Ltd. Macau Open 2025, is part of the prestigious BWF World Tour Super 300 circuit. For Indian players, it comes at a critical point in the season just weeks before the World Championships and deep into the tour calendar, where form, fitness, and tactical sharpness are under constant scrutiny.
India fielded 17 representatives across men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles combining established stars like Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty and Lakshya Sen with emerging names such as Ayush Shetty and Unnati Hooda.
Men’s Singles: A blend of breakthroughs and early exits
Indian men’s singles began on a promising note.
- Ayush Shetty, seeded 7th and fresh from a title win at the US Open, produced one of the cleanest wins of the round, dismantling Huang Yu Kai (TPE) 21-10, 21-11 in just 31 minutes. His aggressive net play and sharp smashes left no room for the Taiwanese shuttler to recover. Ayush now faces Malaysia’s Justin Hoh in the round of 16 a player who himself defeated Indian compatriot Sathish Kumar Karunakaran 21-19, 21-12.
- Tharun Mannepalli added to the positives, overcoming Manraj Singh 21-19, 21-13 in a balanced contest that highlighted his calm under pressure and clever shot placement.
- Lakshya Sen won against Jeon in straight games 21-8, 21-14
However, elsewhere, early exits tempered the optimism:
- Sankar Muthusamy bowed out to China’s Hu Zhe An 21-18, 21-14, despite starting strongly in both games.
- Kiran George fell to Hong Kong’s experienced NG Ka Long Angus 21-15, 21-10, struggling to match his opponent’s pace and precision.
- Yohanes Saut Marcellyno, who qualified from the preliminaries and won against HS Prannoy, 18-21, 21-15, 21-16.
- Rithvik lost to Dwi in straight games 16-21, 8-21
- Sathish Lost to Malaysian Hon in straight games 19-21,12-21
Women’s Singles: Tough draw, early exits
In women’s singles, all Indian representatives faced formidable opponents and couldn’t progress except Rakshita
- Rakshita defeated WR35 Pornpicha from Thailand 🇹🇭 18-21, 21-17, 22-20
- Unnati Hooda, a young talent with a growing reputation, initially fought back to take the second game but eventually lost to Denmark’s 7th seed Julie Dawall Jakobsen 16-21, 21-19, 21-17. Unnati’s defensive retrieval and counterattacks were commendable but not enough to sustain momentum in the decider.
- Aakarshi Kashyap ran into former world champion Nozomi Okuhara (Japan), falling 21-14, 21-16 despite flashes of resilience.
- Tasnim Mir faced an even steeper challenge against China’s former world No. 1 Chen Yu Fei, losing 21-6, 21-14 in a quick 27-minute contest. The gap in experience and tactical maturity was evident, though Tasnim’s attacking instincts occasionally unsettled the Chinese star.
- Anmol Kharb lost to Busanan in straight games 21-23, 11-21
- Anupama lost to Gunji 16-21,10-21
These early exits underline the uphill task India’s women’s singles faces when matched against consistent top-10 opponents.
Men’s Doubles: Strong opening by the top seeds
India’s headline pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (seeded 2nd and ranked world No. 9), delivered a confident start, beating Malaysia’s Low Hang Yee and Ng Eng Cheong 21-13, 21-15 in 36 minutes. Their control at the net, rapid interceptions, and power from the back court left little doubt about their form.
They now face Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi in the second round a potentially tougher test.
Elsewhere:
- Pruthvi Roy and K Sai Pratheek edged out compatriots Dingku Singh Konthoujam and Amaan Mohammad 21-18, 21-19 in an all-Indian clash that showed good defensive coverage and counterattack.
- However, Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi couldn’t capitalise after winning the first game, eventually losing 15-21, 21-19, 21-14 to Japan’s Tori Aizawa and Daisuke Sano.
Overall, India’s men’s doubles campaign remains alive and promising, with the top seeds still in contention.
Women’s Doubles: A shock exit and mixed fortunes
In the biggest upset for India, top seeds and Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand were ousted in the opening round. Facing the unseeded Taiwanese pair Lin Xiao Min and Peng Yu Wei, the Indian duo started well but couldn’t close the second game, ultimately losing 16-21, 22-20, 21-15.
Their early exit is a blow to India’s hopes in women’s doubles, especially after recent performances hinted at growing consistency.
In contrast:
- Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra advanced to the second round
- Apoorva Gahlawat and Sakshi Gahlawat lost their first-round match
The results highlight both the promise of new pairs and the volatility at the highest level.
Mixed Doubles: Confident start
Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, seeded 5th, gave India a bright moment in mixed doubles. They dispatched Thailand’s Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan 21-10, 21-15, showing aggressive net play and tight coordination.
Their next match will likely test their consistency, but the first-round win boosts confidence for a deeper tournament run.
Key takeaways and what lies ahead
- Depth in men’s singles, but consistency needed:
Lakshya Sen & Ayush Shetty’s progress and Tharun Mannepalli’s win are positives, yet the early exits of others show India’s second string needs time to challenge top-20 opponents regularly. - Satwik-Chirag remain India’s strongest bet:
The top men’s doubles pair continues to show why they’re among the world’s best, offering hope for another podium finish. - Women’s singles gap:
Tough draws aside, Indian women’s singles players struggled to match the physicality and consistency of higher-ranked rivals a reminder of the need for tactical evolution and patience. - Mixed doubles and new partnerships:
Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto’s performance shows potential, highlighting the importance of nurturing stable mixed doubles pairs.
At the halfway mark of the Macau Open 2025, Indian badminton’s story is one of mixed fortunes: moments of authority from top seeds, emerging talent finding their feet, and reminders of the gap that remains against the world’s elite.
As the tournament continues, much depends on Lakshya Sen, Dhruv-Tanisha, Satwik-Chirag, and Ayush Shetty to keep the Indian challenge alive. Regardless of results, tournaments like these remain crucial building blocks on the road to bigger stages from the upcoming World Championships to the 2028 Olympics.
The next few days in Macau will reveal whether India can convert promise into podium finishes or return home with lessons to fuel the season ahead
