Paris, August 25, 2025: India’s top shuttler Lakshya Sen bowed out of the BWF World Championships 2025 after suffering a straight-games defeat to world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China in his opening-round match on Monday.
Playing at the Adidas Arena in Paris, the venue that hosted the badminton events during the 2024 Olympics, Sen, ranked world No. 21, fought hard but went down 21-17, 21-19 in 54 minutes.
The 24-year-old, who won bronze at the 2021 edition in Huelva, matched Shi Yu Qi in intensity during the first game. A 52-shot rally highlighted his resilience, but the Chinese shuttler’s sharp finishing sealed the opener.
The second game mirrored the first, with Sen keeping pace until 19-all before Shi Yu Qi clinched two consecutive points to wrap up the contest. This marks Sen’s fourth loss in five career meetings against the Chinese player.
The defeat continues a tough year for Sen, who has struggled on the BWF World Tour in 2025, managing only one semi-final at the Macau Open and a quarter-final at the All England. His season has also included multiple early-round exits.
Meanwhile, PV Sindhu is set to launch her women’s singles campaign on Tuesday against Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova, while HS Prannoy, bronze medallist in 2023, will also begin his run on the same day. In doubles, India’s top pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, seeded first, received a bye in the opening round and will enter the competition later this week.
India has maintained a remarkable streak of winning at least one medal at every Badminton World Championships since 2011, keeping hopes alive for the ongoing edition.
