Top player withdrawals reshuffle India Open 2026 draw; Tanvi to debut, Tharun faces Srikanth

Tanvi Sharma, Ashwini Bhat K, Shikha Gautam and Tharun Mannepalli were promoted to the India Open 2026 main draw after top players withdrew. Tanvi will debut against Wang Zhi Yi, while Tharun faces Kidambi Srikanth in men’s singles

Hyderabad: World junior championships silver medallist Tanvi Sharma, women’s doubles national champions Ashwini Bhat K and Shikha Gautam, and Tharun Mannepalli were promoted to the main draw of the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2026 after the withdrawal of some top players on the eve of the tournament.

World champion and men’s singles world No 1 pulled out of the tournament after retiring in Sunday’s Malaysia Open 2026 final against Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

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In women’s singles, third seed and reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi, who retired against PV Sindhu in the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Open, also withdrew, paving the way for Tanvi to make her India Open debut.

Tanvi will face second seed Wang Zhi Yi of China in the opening round, and if she can pull off an upset, the 16-year-old could meet PV Sindhu in the second round.

Tharun’s elevation from the reserved category means there will be two all-India contests in the opening round of men’s singles. While Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty will face each other, Tharun will meet Kidambi Srikanth in the opening round.

In women’s doubles, Ashwini and Shikha will face Margot Lambert and Camille Pognante of France in the opening round.