Denmark Open 2025: P.V. Sindhu Leads India’s Badminton Challenge in Odense
India’s leading badminton players arrive in Odense for the USD 950,000 Denmark Open Super 750, with two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu heading a sizeable challenge across the singles and doubles draws. The tournament begins on Tuesday, and a late change to the women’s singles draw has given Sindhu a different opening opponent from the one originally scheduled.
Sindhu was initially set to meet world No. 1 and defending champion An Se-young in the first round. The updated draw instead pairs the Indian with Germany’s Yvonne Li, while An will begin her title defence against Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova. The change offers Sindhu a fresh route into the tournament, though a demanding field means she will need to produce her best badminton from the outset.
Sindhu looks to build on a strong season
The former world champion has shown encouraging form in recent months, although her results have varied. She won the Japan Open Super 750 title in July, a significant achievement that underlined her ability to compete with the world’s best. At last week’s Arctic Open, she reached the quarterfinals before losing a close three-game match to Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon.
That run should give Sindhu confidence as she begins another major European tournament. Her experience in high-pressure matches is a considerable asset, particularly in a draw where the margins between advancing and going home can be small. The key will be managing her energy, maintaining consistency in long rallies and taking advantage of attacking opportunities against Li.
Lakshya Sen faces a challenging opener
In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen has a difficult first-round assignment against third seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. Lakshya has produced some of the biggest results in Indian men’s badminton, but his recent performances have been affected by fluctuating form and a back injury.
He was runner-up at the All England Championships earlier this year, reaching the final for the second time after his 2022 appearance. He also remains the only Indian men’s singles player to have reached an Olympic semifinal, achieving that milestone in 2024. Those accomplishments demonstrate the level he can reach when fit and confident.
His latest results, however, have been less consistent. At the Asian Games, Lakshya helped India in the men’s team event, including a quarterfinal victory over Japan’s Kodai Naraoka. His individual campaign ended in the round of 32. Chou, meanwhile, arrives with a strong reputation and recently beat Indian player Ayush Shetty in three games at the Asian Games. Lakshya will need to control the pace and avoid giving the experienced Taiwanese shuttler easy attacking chances.
Ayush Shetty seeks another breakthrough
Ayush Shetty is another Indian men’s singles player to watch. The young shuttler has made rapid progress, winning the US Open Super 300 title in 2025 and drawing international attention at this year’s World Championships, where he stunned then world No. 1 Shi Yuqi.
His Denmark Open campaign begins against Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan, who defeated Ayush in the pre-quarterfinals of the World Championships. The rematch gives the Indian an opportunity to test how much he has developed since that meeting. A strong performance in Odense would add valuable experience and further establish him as one of India’s emerging singles prospects.
Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth also returns to a tournament with special significance: he won the Denmark Open men’s singles title in 2017. Srikanth opens against France’s Arnaud Merkle and will be aiming to make the most of his experience in a competitive field.
Indian women’s singles depth on display
India’s women’s singles contingent extends beyond Sindhu, with Tanvi Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha, Devika Sihag and Unnati Hooda also in the draw. Their presence reflects the growing depth of Indian badminton, with several players arriving in Denmark after important results on the international circuit.
Tanvi, who faces Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira, claimed her first BWF World Tour title at the Taipei Open in August. Ashmita also comes in as a recent champion, having won the Korea Masters Super 300 in the same month. She opens against Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova.
Devika has a demanding assignment against Thailand’s eighth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong, while Unnati takes on China’s Han Qian Xi. Unnati’s recent Asian Games run offered a glimpse of her potential: she reached the quarterfinals after defeating a top-10 opponent and then pushed Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi to three games. That experience could prove useful as she faces another international test in Odense.
Satwik-Chirag and Treesa-Gayatri headline doubles
In men’s doubles, former world No. 1 pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will aim to respond after a surprise first-round exit at the Asian Games. The fifth seeds have already shown strong form this season, winning the Singapore Open Super 750 in May and the China Masters last month. Their opening match is against China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu, a pairing capable of making the early rounds difficult.
India’s women’s doubles hopes are led by Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who won a historic bronze medal at the World Championships in August. They followed that achievement by reaching the Asian Games quarterfinals, where they lost to Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan. Their Denmark Open campaign starts against Chinese Taipei’s Yan Fei Chen and Hsieh Pei Shan.
Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda are also in the women’s doubles draw. They face sixth seeds Bao Li Jing and Cao Zi Han of China, a challenging first-round pairing that will test their defensive organisation and ability to sustain pressure.
A valuable test for India’s badminton squad
The Denmark Open offers Indian players more than a chance to collect ranking points or pursue a title. It is an important opportunity to measure form against elite international opposition, especially for athletes seeking momentum after injuries, narrow defeats or uneven results. With established stars such as Sindhu, Lakshya, Srikanth and the Satwik-Chirag combination alongside emerging talents, India’s campaign in Odense has several compelling storylines.
Early-round performances will be crucial. A strong start could build confidence and create deeper runs, while the demanding draw leaves little room for slow beginnings. For Indian badminton fans, the tournament promises a busy week of high-level competition and a chance to see whether the country’s leading shuttlers can turn recent promise into another memorable international campaign.
