The Yonex–Sunrise India Open 2026, a BWF Super 750 event held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi from January 14 to 18, was expected to be a celebration of Indian badminton at home.
With a prize purse of USD 950,000 and a packed field of the world’s elite, the tournament offered India an opportunity to reassert its growing depth across disciplines. Instead, it turned into one of the most underwhelming home campaigns in recent memory.
Despite fielding 20 Indian entries across five disciplines, not a single Indian player or pair managed to reach the semi-finals. Lakshya Sen’s quarter-final run in men’s singles was the best finish by any home player, underlining just how far the rest of the contingent fell short of expectations.
Men’s singles: Lakshya stands alone
With world No.1 Shi Yu Qi withdrawing, the men’s singles draw was more open than usual. India had reason to be optimistic with Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Ayush Shetty, and Tharun Mannepalli in the mix. HS Prannoy provided the first positive note, defeating higher-ranked Lee Cheuk Yiu in the opening round. However, his run ended in the Round of 16 after a three-game battle against eighth seed Loh Kean Yew (21–18, 19–21, 14–21).
Kidambi Srikanth, showing signs of resurgence, edged past Tharun Mannepalli in an all-Indian opener before bowing out to fifth seed Christo Popov in a tight three-game contest.
It was Lakshya Sen who carried India’s hopes the furthest. After navigating past Ayush Shetty and Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto, Lakshya reached the quarter-finals as the last Indian standing. His campaign ended in a thrilling match against eventual champion Lin Chun-Yi, who went on to become the first player from Chinese Taipei to win a Super 750 title. While Lakshya’s quarter-final finish offered a glimmer of optimism, it also highlighted how reliant India remains on him in high-level singles.
Women’s singles: bright sparks, no breakthrough
Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu entered the tournament hoping to build on her Malaysia Open form, but her India Open jinx continued. She suffered another opening-round exit, losing to Thuy Nguyen for the third straight time. Malvika Bansod, returning from injury, looked promising in her opening-round win over Pai Yu Po, but could not find answers against fifth seed Han Yue in the Round of 16.
The most encouraging Indian display came from 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma, who pushed second seed Wang Zhi Yi to three games in a thrilling contest before going down 20–22, 21–18, 13–21. Though she lost, Tanvi’s fearless shot-making and resilience drew praise and marked her as a player to watch.
At the top end of the draw, An Se-young once again proved why she is world No.1, lifting her third India Open title by defeating Wang in the final. Veteran Ratchanok Intanon also impressed with a semi-final run, reminding everyone of her enduring class.
Men’s doubles: unexpected collapse
Men’s doubles has been India’s strongest discipline in recent years, but Delhi produced a rare off week. Third seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a shock Round of 16 defeat to newly formed Japanese pair Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita after squandering match points. The Japanese duo went on a giant-killing run, beating Liu/Yang and Chia/Soh before narrowly losing the final to former champions Liang/Wang.
India’s young pair Hariharan Amsakarunan and Arjun M.R. created early buzz by defeating former top-10 pair Ong/Teo, but their run ended against eventual champions Liang/Wang.
Women’s doubles: opportunity missed
India fielded six women’s doubles pairs, but only Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela progressed beyond the first round. Their Round of 16 loss was particularly painful. After winning the opening game and leading 19–15 in the second, they held two match points against seventh seeds Li/Luo, only to lose 22–20, 22–24, 21–23. It was a result that summed up India’s week close, but not good enough.
Mixed doubles: familiar struggles
Mixed doubles once again proved to be India’s weakest discipline. All four Indian pairs exited in the opening round, unable to trouble the established international combinations.
A reality check ahead of team championships
By the end of the week, the numbers told a sobering story: no semi-finalists, one quarter-finalist, and a series of narrow losses. Yet, amid the disappointment, there were small positives Lakshya’s return to form, Sindhu’s improved movement, Tanvi Sharma’s breakthrough showing, and the growing maturity of Arjun and Hariharan in men’s doubles. With the Badminton Asia Team Championships just around the corner, India now faces a crucial moment of recalibration.
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The India Open served as a harsh reminder that while the talent pool is deepening, converting promise into podium finishes at the highest level remains the real challenge.
