India Open 2026: Challenging Draw for Home Hopes; Sen, Sindhu Face Tough Openers

• The Yonex-Sunrise India Open Super 750 badminton tournament is scheduled from January 13-18 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
• 2022 champion Lakshya Sen faces an all-Indian clash against rising star Ayush Shetty in the men's singles opener.
• PV Sindhu will compete against Vietnam’s Thuy Linh Nguyen, against whom she has a losing record in previous encounters.
• Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy also face strong international opponents in their first-round matches.
• Doubles pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have a relatively easier opener, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand face Thai opponents.

Why It Matters: Indian badminton stars face a challenging draw at the India Open, testing their mettle early in the tournament.