India’s star men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered another injury setback at the Japan Open 2026, retiring hurt from their opening-round match after Satwik’s recurring shoulder problem flared up again.
Playing their first match since last month’s Indonesia Open, the world No. 4 duo faced Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard in the first round of the BWF Super 750 event in Tokyo. The Indians narrowly dropped the opening game 21-19 before deciding not to continue, with Satwik unable to play on due to the shoulder issue.
The retirement is a significant blow for the pair, who had only recently returned to action after missing four tournaments. It also interrupts the momentum they had built earlier this year after ending a two-year wait for a BWF World Tour title by winning the Singapore Open crown in May.
What happened in the Japan Open 2026 first round
The match against Lundgaard and Vestergaard was meant to mark a clean restart for Rankireddy and Shetty following their time away from competition. Instead, it ended abruptly after the first game, which the Indian pair lost 21-19.
According to the report, Satwik’s shoulder problem is a recurring one. The same injury was aggravated during the opening round of the Indonesia Open, which then forced the pair to spend several weeks on the sidelines. The Japan Open retirement underlines that the issue has not fully settled, despite their return to the court.
For India’s doubles setup, the timing is particularly inconvenient because the Japan Open is one of the key stops on the BWF World Tour calendar, and the pair entered the event as world No. 4. Their early exit means they will not get the match sharpness they were seeking after the layoff, and it raises immediate questions about how quickly they can get back to full fitness.
China Open skipped as focus turns to recovery
India’s chief doubles coach Tan Kim Her confirmed that Rankireddy and Shetty will skip next week’s China Open. The decision has been taken to focus entirely on recovery, with the duo expected to undergo a four-week rehabilitation programme.
The stated aim is to regain full fitness ahead of the BWF World Championships, scheduled to be held in New Delhi next month. With that major event approaching, the priority has shifted from playing through the tour schedule to ensuring Satwik’s shoulder is ready for the demands of a world championship campaign.
Other Indian results on the opening day in Tokyo
While the men’s doubles retirement was a disappointment, India did have positives on the opening day at the Japan Open 2026.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu progressed to the second round with a straight-games win over Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching, winning 21-14, 21-11 in 35 minutes.
India also advanced in mixed doubles as Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto defeated Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson 21-16, 21-14 to move into the next round.
However, there was an early exit for Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, who lost in straight games to China’s top-seeded pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping.
For Indian badminton fans, the day ultimately became a mix of progress and concern: encouraging wins in singles and mixed doubles, but a fresh injury cloud hanging over one of the country’s biggest doubles hopes as the season builds toward the World Championships in New Delhi.
