Lakshya Sen, India’s top men’s badminton player, had a tough season in 2025, but managed to finish the year with one significant achiev-ement: winning the BWF Australian Open Super 500. He needed just 38 minutes to beat unseeded Yushi Tanaka of Japan 21-15, 21-11 in the final. Sen, ranked No. 13 in the world, had a tougher test in the semi-final when he faced Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan, ranked No. 6. He had to save three match points to eke out a 17-21, 24-22, 21-16 victory.
It was Sen’s first title since winning the Syed Modi International Super 300 in Lucknow a year earlier. The Commonwealth Games gold medalist, who hails from Uttarakhand, finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, barely missing the podium. “I have seen a lot of ups and downs this season, with a few injuries at the start of the season,” Sen said after his Australian Open victory.
“But I kept my hard work going throughout the season and I am very happy to end the season on a good note.”