India’s top shuttler wins his first title of the year and his first Super 500 victory since the Canada Open in 2023

Lakshya Sen banished the ghosts of his Paris Olympics disappointment with a fantastic title triumph at the Australian Open in Sydney on Sunday. The Indian shuttler defeated Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21-15, 21-11 in the men’s singles final to lift the Sathio Australian Open trophy. It marks Sen’s first title of the year and his first Super 500 victory since the Canada Open in 2023. His last BWF World Tour title came at the Syed Modi International in 2024.

Paris Olympic Games

India’s top shuttler has struggled to string together consistent wins this season. The setback at the Paris Olympics, where he lost the bronze medal playoff to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in a tense battle, has weighed heavily on him.

Determined to move past that heartbreak, Sen has shown improvement this year, finishing runner-up at the Hong Kong Open and reaching the semifinals of both the Macau Open and Japan Masters. Yet, a title continued to elude him.

Renewed confidence

This week, however, the 24-year-old has displayed renewed confidence in his game, going all out against some of the world’s top players. In the semifinals, he defeated world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei 17-21, 24-22, 21-16 in an 86-minute thriller. On Sunday, he capped the week with a commanding win over Tanaka to emerge champion.

“I have seen a lot of ups and downs this season, with a few injuries at the start, but I kept my hard work going throughout. I’m very happy to end the season on a good note. I’m excited and looking forward to the next season now, and I’m really happy with the way I played today and this week,” Sen said.

Good start

Speaking about the final, he added: “It was important to have a good start and to keep the momentum in the last set because it was quite even in the first one. I got a good lead and could finish it off. The second set started on a good note, and then I just kept the lead to close out the match.”

ENDS