Paris: Indian shuttlers face a stern challenge at the BWF World Championships, starting Monday, with Lakshya Sen set to meet top seed Shi Yu Qi in a daunting opener, while former champion P.V. Sindhu looks to bounce back from a difficult season.
It has been a testing year for India’s top players, with injuries and inconsistent form affecting their preparations. Sen, ranked 21st, returns to Paris a year after the disappointment of finishing fourth at the Olympics.
Reflecting on his Olympic campaign, Sen said, “In the beginning, it was tough to even remember it. But over time, I’ve realised there were many positives. Now I try to focus on those, which helps me grow as a person and become mentally stronger. What’s happened has happened. I’m excited to play good badminton here. The French Open was great for me before the Olympics — it’s a good stadium, and I enjoy playing in these conditions. It’s a tough draw, so from the first round, I’ll treat it as a final.”
The 24-year-old from Almora, who won bronze at the 2021 edition, has struggled for consistency this year, with a quarterfinal finish at the All England being his best result. He has often faltered in tight matches against players like Li Shi Feng, Kodai Naraoka, and Shi, who leads their head-to-head 3-1. The Chinese world No. 1, in red-hot form with three Super 1000 titles this season, beat Sen in three games in Indonesia earlier this year.
Asked about facing Shi again, Sen said, “I’m not thinking about redemption — that adds extra pressure. I’ve had a challenging season but I’ve stayed motivated and put in the work. It’s about staying hungry to win, fighting for every moment, and trusting that things will change.”
In women’s singles, Sindhu — a two-time Olympic medallist and 2019 world champion — will aim to recover from her surprise defeat to fellow Indian Unnati Hooda at the China Open. She begins her campaign against Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova. Now ranked 15th, Sindhu could face world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi of China as early as the round of 16.
In men’s singles, Prannoy, bronze medallist in 2023, opens against Finland’s Joakim Oldorff, with a potential second-round clash against world No. 2 Anders Antonsen of Denmark looming. Prannoy showed his fighting spirit in a narrow three-game loss to Chou Tien Chen at the China Open, but will need to win key moments to progress deep into the tournament.
In men’s doubles, ninth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty receive a first-round bye. They will face either compatriots Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruben Kumar or Chinese Taipei’s Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Han in the second round. A challenging round-of-16 clash against China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who lead their head-to-head 6-2, awaits. If they advance, they could meet Malaysian duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who knocked them out of the Paris Olympics and lead their rivalry 11-3. Satwik and Chirag, 2022 bronze medallists, have been consistent this year, reaching semifinals at the India, Singapore, Malaysia, and China Opens, and the quarterfinals in Indonesia. Yet, they are eager to translate that form into a title win in Paris.
In mixed doubles, 16th seeds Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto receive a bye, while Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde face Macau’s Leong Lok Chong and Weng Chi Ng.
In women’s doubles, Priya Konjengbam–Shruti Mishra and the Panda sisters, Rutuparna and Swetaparna, are in action.
