New Delhi: India’s leading badminton stars are set for demanding opening round encounters at the All England Open 2026, with Lakshya Sen and P V Sindhu drawing formidable opponents in their respective singles events.
In men’s singles, Lakshya faces a stern test against top seed Shi Yu Qi in the Round of 32. The clash promises to be one of the standout matches of the opening phase, given the Chinese star’s consistency at the highest level. Meanwhile, Ayush Shetty will take on Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan as he looks to make a mark in the prestigious tournament.
Sindhu, a former world champion, begins her campaign against Thailand’s Supanida Katethong. Elsewhere in women’s singles, Malvika Bansod has drawn a tough opponent in China’s Chen Yu Fei, while Unnati Hooda will face eighth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong in another challenging opener.
India’s top ranked men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will begin their campaign against Malaysia’s Kang Khai Xi and Aaron Tai. In women’s doubles, the pairing of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand is set to meet Japan’s Sayaka Hirota and Ayako Sakuramoto in the first round.
In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto will face Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin. Another Indian pair, Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani, will square off against France’s Thomas Giquel and Delphine Delrue.
With several high profile matchups lined up, India’s contingent will need strong starts to progress deep into one of badminton’s most prestigious tournaments.
