India banks on Sindhu and Satwik-Chirag at Denmark Open 2026

PV Sindhu faces world No. 1 An Se-young in the Denmark Open opener, while Lakshya Sen takes on Chou Tien-chen. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty return to action as India targets a strong showing across four categories

Odense (Denmark): PV Sindhu’s quest for another BWF World Tour title will begin with one of the toughest assignments in women’s badminton, while the return of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty adds further interest to India’s campaign at the Denmark Open 2026, which gets underway on Tuesday.

The BWF Super 750 tournament will feature a strong international field, with India banking on its established stars and emerging talents to make an impact across the singles and doubles draws.

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Sindhu, who won the Japan Open Super 750 title earlier this year, faces world No. 1 and Olympic champion An Se-young of the Republic of Korea in the opening round. The Indian, a two-time Olympic medallist currently ranked 10th in the world, is yet to register a win against An in 10 previous meetings.

The opening-round encounter will offer an early test of Sindhu’s ambitions in Denmark, with the Indian needing to overcome a difficult head-to-head record against one of the most dominant players in women’s badminton.

India’s women’s singles challenge also features Tanvi Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha, Devika Sihag and Unnati Hooda. Tanvi and Ashmita enter the tournament with titles to their names this season, having won the Taipei Open and Korea Masters, respectively, in August.

In the men’s singles draw, Lakshya Sen will be eager to regain consistency after a season affected by injuries and fluctuating results. His runner-up finish at the All England Championships earlier this year remains a significant highlight, but the Indian faces another demanding start against world No. 3 Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei.

Ayush Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth complete India’s men’s singles contingent. Srikanth, a former world No. 1, will return to a tournament he won in 2017, while Shetty will look to make his presence felt in a competitive field.

The men’s doubles competition will see Satwiksairaj and Chirag return to action for the first time since their quarter-final defeat at the Asian Games 2026, where they were unable to defend their title. The Indian pair have, however, enjoyed a productive year on the BWF World Tour, winning the Singapore Badminton Open and China Masters. The Denmark Open presents an opportunity to add another trophy to their season’s collection.

In women’s doubles, World Championships bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will spearhead India’s challenge. Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda are the other Indian pair in the draw.

India will have no representation in mixed doubles, leaving the country’s hopes concentrated in the other four categories.

With Sindhu facing the world’s top-ranked player immediately, Lakshya taking on a top-three opponent and the men’s doubles pair returning after their Asian Games setback, the opening rounds could prove decisive in shaping India’s campaign.

Where to watch: Badminton fans in India can watch the Denmark Open 2026 live on FanCode. The tournament will not be telecast live on any television channel in the country.

India squad:

Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth

Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty

Women’s singles: PV Sindhu, Tanvi Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha, Devika Sihag, Unnati Hooda

Women’s doubles: Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand, Rutaparna Panda-Swetaparna Panda