Japan Open badminton: Satwik-Chirag return from injury to lead Indian campaign in Tokyo

Star doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty return from an injury layoff to lead India's elite contingent at the BWF Japan Open Super 750, chasing crucial momentum ahead of next month's World Championships in New Delhi.

Tokyo: India’s top badminton stars will be back in action at the BWF Japan Open Super 750, beginning Tuesday at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, with the return of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty headlining the country’s campaign.

The tournament, carrying a prize purse of USD 950,000, is a key stop on the BWF World Tour as players chase crucial ranking points ahead of next month’s World Championships in New Delhi and the Asian Games later this year.

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The spotlight will be on Satwik and Chirag, who return for the first time since the Indonesia Open in June, where Satwik aggravated a shoulder injury. The setback forced the former Asian Games champions to miss four tournaments, halting their momentum soon after they snapped a two-year BWF World Tour title drought by winning the Singapore Open in May.

Seeded third, the world No. 4 pair will begin their campaign against Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard and Daniel Lundgaard. India’s men’s doubles challenge also includes MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan, who arrive in Tokyo after consecutive quarter-final finishes in Indonesia and Australia.

In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen returns after his Indonesia Open appearance and opens against Japan’s Kenta Watanabe, while Ayush Shetty faces a stern first-round test against former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, who has not competed since reaching the Australian Open semi-finals last month, will begin her campaign against Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching. Youngster Unnati Hooda will face Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Hsun in the opening round.

India’s mixed doubles hopes rest with Olympian Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila, alongside Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde. However, the country will have no representation in women’s doubles after Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela withdrew ahead of the tournament.

The field boasts several of the sport’s biggest names, including world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi, Anders Antonsen, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and Kodai Naraoka in men’s singles, while defending champion An Se Young, Wang Zhi Yi, Chen Yu Fei, and four-time winner Akane Yamaguchi headline the women’s draw.

India is yet to win a Japan Open title, and the contingent will be eager to end that drought while building momentum ahead of two of the biggest events on the 2026 badminton calendar.

Key Details:

When: The tournament will kick off on Tuesday, July 14

Where: Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Japan

Where to watch: The Japan Open matches will be available to watch on the BWF TV YouTube channel in India.

India squad:

Men’s Singles: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty

Women’s Singles: P.V. Sindhu, Unnati Hooda

Men’s Doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy – Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan – MR Arjun

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