Denmark Open 2026: Sindhu, Lakshya Face Tough Openers

P V Sindhu will open her Denmark Open 2026 campaign against world No. 1 and defending champion An Se-young, while Lakshya Sen faces third seed Chou Tien Chen in a difficult start for India at the USD 950,000 Super 750 tournament beginning on Tuesday.

The draw presents immediate high-level tests for two of India’s biggest singles names. Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist and former world champion, is attempting to lead the Indian contingent through a tournament featuring a demanding opening slate across singles and doubles.

Sindhu and Lakshya handed major opening-round challenges

Sindhu arrives in Denmark after mixed recent results. She won the Japan Open Super 750 title in July, but her Arctic Open campaign ended in the quarterfinals last week when she lost to Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon in three games.

Her first obstacle in Denmark is particularly formidable. Sindhu has lost all 10 of her previous meetings with An, who enters the event as both the world No. 1 and defending champion. The opening-round matchup therefore gives Sindhu an early opportunity to reverse a difficult head-to-head record on one of the season’s biggest tour stages.

In men’s singles, Lakshya is set to take on Chou after an underwhelming Asian Games individual campaign. His form has fluctuated over the past two years, although he finished runner-up at the All England Championships for the second time earlier this year, following his first final appearance in 2022. He is also the only Indian men’s singles player to have reached an Olympic semi-final, doing so in 2024.

Lakshya has recently been affected by a back injury. At the Asian Games, he beat Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in the quarterfinals of the men’s team event before losing in the round of 32 in the individual competition. Chou also comes into the contest after defeating India’s Ayush Shetty in three games at the Asian Games.

Ayush has his own opening-round meeting with Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan. The Indian won the US Open Super 300 in 2025 and made an impact at this year’s World Championships by defeating the then world No. 1 Shi Yuqi. However, Farhan beat Ayush in the pre-quarterfinals of that World Championships event.

Kidambi Srikanth returns to the tournament where he won the men’s singles title in 2017 and will face France’s Arnaud Merkle in his opener.

India’s depth tested across singles and doubles

India’s women’s singles group also includes Tanvi Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha, Devika Sihag and Unnati Hooda. Tanvi begins against Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira after winning her first BWF World Tour title at the Taipei Open in August. Ashmita, another recent tour-level champion following her Korea Masters Super 300 victory in August, plays Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova.

Devika has been drawn against eighth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand, while Unnati meets China’s Han Qian Xi. Unnati reached the Asian Games quarterfinals last month after beating a top-10 opponent and then took Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi to three games.

In men’s doubles, fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty open against China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu. The former world No. 1 pair will seek a response after a surprise first-round Asian Games exit. They won the Singapore Open Super 750 in May, ending a two-year wait for a title, and added the China Masters crown last month.

Women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand begin against Chinese Taipei’s Yan Fei Chen and Hsieh Pei Shan. They head India’s challenge after winning a historic World Championships bronze in August and subsequently reaching the Asian Games quarterfinals. Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda are the other Indian pair in the draw and face sixth seeds Bao Li Jing and Cao Zi Han of China.

With established contenders, recent title winners and emerging players all facing testing openers, the Denmark Open offers India an important early measure against elite opposition.