India’s former World Championship bronze medallist, Lakshya Sen, pulled off the biggest upset on the opening day of the All England Open 2026, defeating top seed and defending champion Shi Yuqi of China in a thrilling men’s singles first-round match on Tuesday.
Sen, the 2022 finalist, overcame the reigning world champion 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 in an hour and 18 minutes, advancing to the second round.
Also moving forward were India’s mixed doubles pair, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, who defeated Malaysia’s Hoo Peng Ron and Cheng Su Yin 21-17, 21-19.
But the day belonged to Sen. The 24-year-old, whose only previous win over Shi came in the Asian Games team championships, started aggressively and quickly opened a 17-10 lead in the first game. Shi fought back to make it 18-17, but Sen held his nerve to claim the opener.
In the second game, Shi dominated early, taking a 19-13 lead, but Sen’s resistance forced a decider. In the final game, Sen controlled the net and flat exchanges, opening a 16-11 advantage before converting four match points to seal the victory.
Meanwhile, Malvika Bansod’s campaign ended in a 21-11, 21-6 loss to third seed Chen Yu Fei of China. Bansod had the opportunity to lead India’s challenge in the absence of PV Sindhu, who had to withdraw after being stranded in Dubai. Sindhu’s travel was disrupted due to airspace closures following the Middle East crisis triggered by US-Israel strikes on Iran, forcing her to return home safely.
Sen’s victory sets up an exciting second-round clash, while India’s hopes now rest on the remaining players to carry the flag in Birmingham.