US Open Super 300 2026: Lakshya Sen and Tanvi Sharma Lead India’s Challenge in California

India will field a blend of established stars and emerging talent at the US Open Super 300 2026, with Paris Olympic semifinalist Lakshya Sen and teenage sensation Tanvi Sharma spearheading the country’s campaign in California. 

Beginning on Tuesday, the BWF World Tour event presents another important opportunity for Indian shuttlers to earn valuable ranking points and build momentum during the international season.

While several senior players have opted to skip the tournament, India’s sizeable contingent across singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles ensures that the tricolour will be well represented in the United States.

Second seed Lakshya Sen enters the tournament as India’s strongest medal contender in the men’s singles draw. Ranked World No. 14, the former All England finalist returns to competitive action after missing the Australian Open and Macau Open and will be eager to bounce back following an early exit at the Indonesia Open earlier this month.

Lakshya opens his campaign against Belgium’s Julien Carraggi, a match in which the Indian will start as the favourite. If he progresses deep into the tournament, he could find himself on a collision course with top seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei, one of the most experienced players on the BWF circuit.

Interestingly, Lakshya holds a narrow 5-4 head-to-head advantage over Chou, adding another layer of intrigue to a potential showdown later in the week.

Former World Championships silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth will also be looking to make an impact. Seeded fifth, the experienced Indian begins against Chinese Taipei’s Liao Jhuo-Fu.

Having shown flashes of his old form in recent tournaments, Srikanth will hope to convert those performances into a deep run at the US Open. His experience could prove invaluable in a field that features several promising young players but relatively few established veterans.

India’s men’s singles challenge is further strengthened by Saneeth Dayanand, who faces Japan’s fourth seed Yudai Okimoto, and S. Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian, who starts against a qualifier. Qualifier Rounak Chouhan also features in the Indian squad.

Notably absent is defending champion Ayush Shetty, who will not return to defend the title he won last year. Former US Open champion HS Prannoy has also skipped the event.

Tanvi Sharma Leads Exciting Women’s Singles Squad

In the women’s singles draw, much of India’s attention will focus on 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma, who continues to establish herself as one of the brightest young prospects in world badminton.

Seeded fifth, Tanvi enters the tournament after an impressive quarterfinal run at the Australian Open Super 500 and begins her campaign against Germany’s Yvonne Li. Her fearless attacking style and rapid rise have made her one of the players to watch this season.

Joining Tanvi is Devika Sihag, seeded sixth and fresh from title-winning performances at the Thailand Masters and Azerbaijan International. She opens against Peru’s Ines Lucia Castillo Salazar.

https://www.indiasportshub.com/articles/macau-open-2026-indian-shuttlers-performance

India’s women’s singles contingent also includes Anmol Kharb, who faces Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova, Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, who begins against a qualifier, Shriyanshi Valishetty, Tanya Hemnath, and Aakarshi Kashyap, providing the country with strong depth across the draw.

With PV Sindhu opting to skip the tournament, the spotlight naturally shifts to this younger generation, many of whom are seeking breakthrough performances on the BWF World Tour.

India’s only representatives in the women’s doubles draw are Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, one of the country’s most accomplished pairs. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallists recently returned to competition after Treesa completed rehabilitation from injury and are looking to regain rhythm after limited appearances over the past few months.

They open their campaign against Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez and will hope to build confidence as they continue their comeback season.

India has no entries in the men’s doubles main draw, largely due to the continued absence of star pairing Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, with Satwik still recovering from injury sustained during the Indonesia Open.

In mixed doubles, Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha K will carry India’s hopes when they face Indonesia’s Wirawan Ihsan Adam and Serena Kani in the opening round.

The US Open Super 300 provides an ideal platform for India’s emerging players to gain international exposure and valuable ranking points against quality opposition.

For Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth, the objective will be to challenge for the title and reinforce their positions among the world’s leading men’s singles players. For Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag and several other young Indians, the tournament offers another chance to demonstrate that they are ready to compete consistently at the highest level.

With experienced campaigners and rising stars sharing the spotlight, India enters the US Open with genuine hopes of multiple deep runs across categories. Strong performances in California would not only boost confidence but also strengthen the country’s preparations for the remainder of the 2026 BWF World Tour season.

US Open 2026 badminton: India squad

Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Saneeth Dayanand, S Sankar Muthusamy, Rounak Chouhan (Q)

Women’s singles: Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag, Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, Anmol Kharb, Shriyanshi Valishetty, Tanya Hemnath, Aakarshi Kashyap

Women’s doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand

Mixed doubles: Dhruv Rawat/Maneesha K