New Delhi— Lakshya Sen rediscovered his winning rhythm on the global badminton circuit as he captured his first title of the 2025 season, producing a commanding straight-game victory over Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in the men’s singles final of the Australian Open Super 500 on Sunday.
The 24-year-old from Almora, who had been struggling for form since his fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics, looked rejuvenated throughout the week in Sydney. He sealed the championship with a confident 21-15, 21-11 win, finishing the contest in just 38 minutes.
Sen, a World Championships bronze medallist in 2021, had last lifted a Super 300 trophy at the Syed Modi International in 2024. His previous major triumph also came that same year at the Canada Open. Despite reaching the final of the Hong Kong Super 500 in September, a title had remained out of reach—until today’s composed performance.
Against world No. 26 Tanaka, who won the Orléans Masters and the US Open (Super 300) earlier this season, Sen showcased tight control, precise shot placement and crisp execution from start to finish. The Indian shuttler never allowed the Japanese player to settle, maintaining dominance across both games.
With this win, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion becomes only the second Indian to claim a BWF World Tour title this season, following Ayush Shetty’s breakthrough Super 300 triumph at the US Open.
The year has also seen strong runs from other Indian stars, with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty making finals at both the Hong Kong and China Masters, while Kidambi Srikanth registered a runner-up finish at the Malaysia Masters.
