Japan Open Badminton: Round-up of Indian players' performances
by Thobelani Moyo | by Thobelani Moyo
India failed to impress in the Japan Open 2025 badminton despite there being high expectations from the nation. Calling the current edition a mixed bag for the Indian national team would be an understatement for a side that has been eliminated from the competition.
No Indian shuttler was able to make it beyond the quarter-finals. Even the renowned Lakshya Sen was shown the door in the round of 16, crushing all hopes that India had of clinching a medal in this prestigious competition.
In the article below, we take a look at the players' performance in the Japan Open Badminton and how they fared. For more Badminton news, head on to our news section.
India: Players who have met their fate in the Japan Open Badminton
- PV Sindhu
If there was any hope of an Indian shuttler going all the way in the 2025 Japan Open badminton, then it has to be PV Sindhu. PV Sindhu is a two-time Olympic medalist, but her performance was nothing short of disappointing.
Pitted against South Korea's Sim Yu Jin, it was a tough assignment for the 20-year-old as he lost two straight games. First, he suffered a 21-15 defeat before going on to succumb to a 21-14 defeat. This happened in 38 minutes, bringing an end to his journey in the first round of the competition.
- Unnati Hooda
Another name that fell to a first-round exit is Unnati Hooda. She also suffered the same fate as PV Sindhu, suffering a two-game defeat.
However, in her case, she was up against Pornpawee Chochuwong from Thailand, who is already considered to be an elite contender because of her past achievements.
It can't be denied that the pairing between these two names was nothing but a one-sided affair. The scoreline reflected that as she first fell to an 8-21 defeat before bowing out in a 21-12 routing.
- Anupama Upadhyaya
Anupama Upadhyaya was promising in this competition, but also stumbled when it mattered most. She began the tournament with loads of promise, outsmarting Wang Zhiyi, who is considered to be No. 2 in the world. In the first game, she had no trouble securing a 21-13 triumph.
However, out of nowhere, she showed signs of collapse, losing the next two games. It started with a 13-21 defeat and an 11-21 defeat and was briefly followed by a 12-21 defeat, orchestrating her exit in the round of 16.
- Lakshya Sen
Lakshya Sen flexed his status as the No. 18. Sen had no trouble opening the competition with a win over China's Wang Zheng. He posted 21-11 and 21-18 wins on the screen.
Instead of building on this momentum, he quickly ran out of steam against Kodai Naraoka from Japan. Losing two straight sets (19-21, 11-21) didn't come as a surprise given the competition he was up against and his record of five losses in seven games against Naraoka.
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty
These are the only names in Indian men's doubles that exited in the round of 16. Nothing much can be said about the pairing of Hariharan Amsakarunan & Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi, who managed to compete in the early rounds only.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty reached the round of 16, but there the competition became stiff in the 2nd round. It was a smooth-sailing performance in the first round, as they were up against the Republic of Korea's Kang Min-hyuk and Kim Dong-ju and had no trouble winning.
The problem came in the second round. Up against the fifth-seeded Chinese team, all eyes were on them and the People's Republic of China's Wang Chang and Liang Weikeng. From being a tight contest, losing 24-22 ended up being a one-sided affair in the follow-up as the scoreline read 21-14. It has to be pointed out that this was the fourth straight defeat.
A quick look at the other doubles pairs that got eliminated
Hariharan Amsakarunan & Rethinasabapathi Ribbon
- Lost opening match against the Republic of Korea's Kim and Seo (15-21, 9-21).
Kavipriya Selvam & Simran Singhi (women's doubles)
- Lost to Hong Kong (6-21, 15-21).
Rutaparna & Swetaparna Panda
- Lost to Japan (13-21, 7-21).
