Japan Open 2026: PV Sindhu, Sat-Chi start tuning for World Championships

India’s top badminton stars are set to return to the courts when the 2026 Japan Open gets underway in Tokyo on Tuesday, with PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and the famous men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty leading the country’s competition. The Super 750 event in Tokyo will be one of the most important events for the World Championship next month.

The BWF Super 750 tournament marks an important stop on the international calendar, especially for Satwik and Chirag, who are returning after almost two months on the sidelines. Satwik aggravated a shoulder injury during the Indonesia Open in June, forcing the duo to miss four consecutive tournaments.

The former Asian Games champions will be eager to rediscover their rhythm after ending a two-year title drought with a triumphant run at the Singapore Open in May. The world number four, seeded third in Tokyo, will once again carry India’s best hopes in the doubles draw.

PV Sindhu is also back in action after a semi-final final at the Australian Open last month, where she went down to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. The two-time Olympic medalist will be joined by rising youngster Unnati Hooda in the women’s singles, while Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty lead India’s campaign in the men’s singles.

Despite producing several world-class shuttlers over the years, India has yet to win a Japan Open title. With a strong mix of experienced fighters and new talent traveling to Tokyo, the Indian contingent will be hoping to finally end that wait.

INDIA’S STARS AT JAPAN OPEN 2026

All eyes will be on Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who are returning to competitive action after injury. Having missed the Australian, Macau, US and Canada Opens, the pair will be keen to build momentum ahead of the second half of the BWF season.

Lakshya Sen is also coming back from his last appearance at the Indonesia Open and will look to bounce back with a deep run in Tokyo. Youngster Ayush Shetty joins him in the men’s singles draw as India continues to invest in its next generation of talent.

In women’s singles, Sindhu remains India’s biggest hope. The former world champion has shown encouraging signs in recent weeks and will look to carry that form into one of the toughest tournaments on the BWF calendar. Unnati Hooda adds youthful promise to the Indian challenge.

India will also be represented in the mixed doubles through the pairs of Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto and Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, while MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan will compete alongside Satwik-Chirag in the men’s doubles.

INDIA AT JAPAN OPEN 2026: FULL SQUAD

Men’s Singles: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty

Men’s Doubles: Satwiksiraj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, MR Arjun-Hariharan Amsakarunan

Women’s Singles: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda

Women’s Doubles: No Indian entries

Mixed Doubles: Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Shivani Gadde

WHERE TO WATCH JAPAN OPEN 2026 BADMINTON LIVE IN INDIA

Fans can watch the Japan Open 2026 live in India via the BWF TV YouTube channel, which will stream matches throughout the tournament.

So far, no TV station has announced the details of the live telecast of the event in India.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

14 Jul 2026 08:23 IST