Lakshya Sen Crashes Out of BWF World Championships 2025 After Opening-Round Defeat to Shi Yu Qi

Paris [France], Aug 25: India's top men's singles shuttler Lakshya Sen suffered a disappointing first-round exit at the BWF World Championships 2025, losing to world No.1 and top seed Shi Yu Qi of China in straight games at the Adidas Arena, Paris - the same venue that hosted the badminton events during the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Sen, ranked 21st in the world, showcased grit and determination but eventually went down 21-17, 21-19 in a 54-minute contest. The 2021 World Championships bronze medallist pushed Shi to the limit with long rallies, including a marathon 52-shot exchange, but fell short against the Chinese star's precision and attacking flair.

The second game followed a similar trajectory. Sen stayed level until 19-all, only to lose two crucial points as Shi sealed his fourth win in five encounters against the Indian.

The 24-year-old has endured a challenging season in 2025, with only one semi-final appearance at the Macau Open and a quarter-final run at the All England Open, while suffering multiple early exits on the BWF Tour.

Meanwhile, PV Sindhu, India's former world champion, will launch her women's singles campaign against Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova on Tuesday. In men's singles, HS Prannoy, the 2023 bronze medallist, will also open his campaign on the same day.

In doubles, top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received a first-round bye and will begin their campaign later this week.

Since 2011, India has won at least one medal in every edition of the World Championships, and the country's hopes now rest on its remaining star shuttlers.