Lakshya Sen Conquers Australian Open 2025: Indian Star Claims First Title of Season in Dominant Display

Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen ended a challenging 2025 season on a triumphant note, capturing the Australian Open Super 500 title with a commanding straight-games victory over Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in Sydney on Sunday. The 23-year-old’s clinical 21-15, 21-11 triumph in just 38 minutes not only secured his first title of the calendar year but also reinforced his status as India’s top-ranked men’s singles player.

Match Summary: A Clinical Performance

Lakshya Sen, seeded seventh and ranked 14th in the world, dominated the final from start to finish against the unseeded 26th-ranked Tanaka at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. The Commonwealth Games champion displayed remarkable control, sharp placement, and clean execution to wrap up the USD 475,000 Super 500 event without dropping a single game.

This was the first head-to-head meeting between the two shuttlers, with Sen demonstrating why he remains India’s premier men’s singles hope despite a season plagued by injuries and inconsistent results.

First Set: Establishing Dominance

The final began with Sen establishing early control, racing to a 6-3 lead by pushing Tanaka into longer rallies and forcing errors from the Japanese player on the corners of the court. Sen reeled off four straight points to seize command at 7-3, mixing his naturally defensive game with attacking badminton and deft touches at the net.

Tanaka briefly mounted resistance, closing the gap to 12-13 with sharp net shots and powerful smashes. However, Sen adjusted his strategy, denying Tanaka the length required for his attacking game and using crisp cross-court winners to open a four-point lead at 17-13.

Five game points soon followed, and Sen converted immediately as Tanaka drove another shuttle into the net, sealing the opening game 21-15 and establishing psychological advantage heading into the second.

Second Set: Complete Domination

The second game turned into one-sided affair as Sen maintained relentless intensity. After a measured start, Sen pressed ahead to build a commanding six-point lead at the interval (11-5), continuing to play fast, flat returns that dismantled Tanaka’s defensive structure.

Sen’s backline judgment proved exceptional as he hammered a barrage of smashes to move to 19-8, earning 10 match points with another fine shot near the net. Though he squandered one with a net error, Sen sealed the championship with a sharp cross-court return, celebrating by putting his fingers to his ears—a gesture of shutting out the noise and criticism that had followed him through a difficult season.

Lakshya’s Journey to the Title

Sen’s path to the Australian Open crown demonstrated both his resilience and quality, particularly evident in his dramatic semi-final victory just 24 hours before the final.

Tournament Results

The semi-final against world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen, a 2022 World Championships bronze medallist, provided the tournament’s most dramatic moment. Sen saved three match points to secure victory in 86 minutes, demonstrating the mental fortitude that had occasionally eluded him during the season.

Breaking the Title Drought

This Australian Open triumph represents Lakshya’s sixth career BWF World Tour title and his first since the Syed Modi International Super 300 in Lucknow last December—a drought of nearly one year. More significantly, it marks his first tournament victory outside India since the Canada Open Super 500 in July 2023.

Career BWF World Tour Titles

The victory continues Sen’s impressive streak of winning at least one title annually since 2022, a consistency that speaks to his underlying quality despite the challenges faced this season.

A Challenging 2025 Season

Sen’s 2025 campaign had been marked by frustration and inconsistency. His win-loss record entering the Australian Open stood at 22-18—barely positive for a player of his caliber. The season featured 10 first-round exits, a stark statistic for India’s No. 1 player who had captured the nation’s attention with his Olympic bronze medal match appearance in Paris 2024.

The mental block so often associated with Sen returned as he struggled to convert advantageous positions into victories. A back injury significantly reduced his usually reliable physicality, and his ranking drop meant no seeding in major tournaments, resulting in brutally difficult draws—including facing world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi in the World Championship opener.

However, there were bright spots: quarter-finals at the All England Open, semi-finals at the Japan Masters and Kumamoto Masters, and a runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open in September. The Australian Open victory brings his final 2025 record to 23-18, providing crucial momentum heading into the off-season.

Post-Match Reflections

“I have seen a lot of ups and downs this season, with a few injuries at the start,” Sen said after his triumph. “But I kept my hard work going throughout the season and I am very happy to end the season on a good note. I’m very excited, looking forward to the next season now and I am really happy with the way I played today and this week.”

Addressing his mental approach during the final, Sen revealed: “In the second set I was quite far off in the lead, but I didn’t want to get too inside my head so I wouldn’t relax too much. In the back of my mind, it was there but I was just trying to focus on playing one point at a time.”

The victory brought emotional celebrations, with Sen receiving a big hug from his coach Yoo Yong-sung and father DK Sen, both of whom witnessed his struggles throughout the challenging season from close quarters.

Historical Context for Indian Badminton

With this victory, Lakshya Sen became only the second Indian shuttler to claim a BWF World Tour title during the 2025 season, following rising star Ayush Shetty’s maiden Super 300 triumph at the US Open. Sen is also the second Indian male shuttler to win the Australian Open, following Kidambi Srikanth’s success in 2017.

The win provides rare positive news for Indian badminton in a season that has offered little to celebrate. While Sen’s season ended on a high, the victory came too late to qualify him for the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals, though it serves as a major morale booster as he concludes his international swing.

Looking Ahead

Sen’s team credited a revamped recovery protocol, including specialized equipment and disciplined physiotherapy sessions, for his physical durability throughout the tournament—particularly important given the grueling 86-minute semi-final just 24 hours before the final.

The Australian Open triumph demonstrates that Sen’s improvements in shot speed variation, sharper attacks, and deft net play are beginning to bear fruit. Most importantly, his mental solidity during the final—refusing to let the occasion overwhelm him even with a comfortable lead—suggests the 24-year-old is addressing the psychological challenges that have hindered his progress.

As Sen heads into the off-season, this confidence-boosting title provides the perfect foundation for what promises to be a crucial 2026 campaign, where he will aim to translate his undeniable potential into consistent results at the highest level of international badminton.

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