Indian badminton will once again have a strong presence on the BWF World Tour as a blend of established stars and emerging talents gear up for the US Open Super 300, which gets underway in Fullerton, California, on June 23.
With valuable ranking points and momentum ahead of the second half of the season on offer, India’s contingent will be led by Paris Olympics semifinalist Lakshya Sen and teenage sensation Tanvi Sharma, two players representing different generations but carrying similar expectations. The tournament, a part of the BWF World Tour calendar, offers a prize purse of $250,000 and is expected to attract several top international players looking to strengthen their world rankings.
Lakshya enters the competition as the second seed and one of the favourites for the title. Currently ranked World No. 14, the Indian star will begin his campaign against Belgium’s Julien Carraggi. The tournament presents an opportunity for Lakshya to regain rhythm after an early exit at the Indonesia Open earlier this month and continue building towards the major events later in the season.
The 24-year-old has established himself as one of India’s most reliable performers in recent years. His memorable run to the semifinals at the Paris Olympics elevated his stature on the global stage, while consistent performances at elite BWF events have kept him among the world’s leading players. Earlier this season, Lakshya also produced strong displays at several high-profile tournaments, reaffirming his status as India’s top men’s singles contender.
The draw, however, is far from straightforward. Top seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei occupies the opposite half and remains one of the strongest contenders for the crown. Interestingly, Lakshya holds a narrow 5-4 advantage in their head-to-head meetings, a statistic that could become significant if both players progress deep into the tournament.
Former World Championships silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth will also be in action. Seeded fifth, Srikanth opens his campaign against Chinese Taipei’s Liao Jhuo-Fu. The experienced shuttler has enjoyed a resurgence over the past year, climbing back up the rankings after a difficult period and producing encouraging performances on the international circuit. The US Open provides another opportunity for the former world No. 1 to continue his revival and push for deeper runs in BWF tournaments.
India’s men’s singles challenge is further strengthened by Saneeth Dayanand and S. Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian. While Saneeth faces a difficult opening-round encounter against Japan’s fourth-seeded Yudai Okimoto, Sankar begins against a qualifier and will be aiming to capitalize on a potentially favourable draw.
In the women’s singles event, much of the spotlight will be on 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma, who continues to emerge as one of the brightest young talents in world badminton. Seeded fifth, Tanvi begins her campaign against Germany’s Yvonne Li.
The teenager has enjoyed a breakthrough season. Earlier this month she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open Super 500 and has consistently impressed against higher-ranked opponents. Her rapid rise follows a remarkable 2025 campaign in which she became one of the youngest Indian players to reach a BWF World Tour final, finishing runner-up at the US Open Super 300.
India has a strong seven-player presence in the women’s singles draw. Sixth seed Devika Sihag, who has enjoyed success this season with titles at the Thailand Masters and Azerbaijan International, opens against Peru’s Ines Lucia Castillo Salazar. Anmol Kharb, another promising youngster, faces Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova, while Rakshitha Sree S takes on a qualifier and could potentially face top seed Michelle Li in the second round.
Shriyanshi Valishetty will begin against Canada’s Rachel Chan, Tanya Hemanth faces a stern challenge against Japan’s third seed Riko Gunji, and Aakarshi Kashyap opens against Chinese Taipei’s Tung Ciou-Tong.
India’s hopes in doubles competition rest primarily on the experienced women’s doubles pairing of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallists enter the tournament as India’s sole representatives in the women’s doubles main draw and will begin against Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez. The pair will be eager to produce a strong performance after showing flashes of their potential on the international circuit in recent seasons.
In mixed doubles, seventh-seeded Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha K will carry Indian hopes when they face Indonesia’s Wirawan Ihsan Adam and Serena Kani in their opening match. Notably, India has no entries in the men’s doubles main draw, highlighting an area where the country continues to seek greater depth despite the success achieved by several singles players.
With a balanced mix of experienced campaigners and exciting young prospects, India’s squad enters the US Open Super 300 with genuine medal hopes across multiple categories. While Lakshya Sen will aim to add another international title to his growing resume, much attention will also be focused on Tanvi Sharma, whose rapid rise continues to excite Indian badminton fans. As the tournament unfolds in California this week, both players will look to make a strong statement on one of the sport’s biggest stages outside the Super 500 and Super 1000 circuit.
