P V Sindhu and Lakshya Sen Exit Denmark Open Early

Indian badminton stars P V Sindhu and Lakshya Sen lost their first-round matches at the Denmark Open while younger players showed promise in Odense.

On Tuesday, 13 October 2026, India’s top badminton stars faced a difficult day at the Denmark Open in Odense. This is a Super 750 tournament, which is a high-level international competition. P V Sindhu, who has won two Olympic medals for India, was knocked out in the very first round. She lost to Yvonne Li from Germany. Even though Sindhu won the first game 21-13, Li fought back to win the next two games 25-23 and 21-19. The match lasted 65 minutes. Li is ranked around 50th in the world and only got into the main draw as a reserve (a player who fills a spot when others withdraw). Sindhu was the ninth seed (a ranking given to top players to keep them apart early in the tournament). At one point in the final game, Sindhu led 19-15 but then lost six points in a row. Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen also lost his opening match. He played against Chou Tien-chen from Chinese Taipei, who is ranked sixth in the world. Lakshya lost 18-21, 21-13, 15-21 in a match that took over an hour.

Why it matters

These results are important because Sindhu and Lakshya are the biggest names in Indian badminton. For Lakshya Sen, this was his eighth first-round defeat this year. His form (his level of play) has struggled since he reached the final of the All England Open in March. He also lost early during the recent Asian Games held in Japan. For many years, Indian families and young fans have looked up to these stars. When top players lose early, it affects the mood of the sport in the country. It also makes people wonder if the next generation is ready to take over. However, there was some hope from other Indian players. Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth won his match. Also, a young teenager named Tanvi Sharma showed great spirit. She beat Natsuki Nidaira from Japan in a long match that lasted 72 minutes. This mix of results shows that while the older stars are struggling, new talent is trying to step up to keep India's flag flying.

Key tournament facts

• P V Sindhu was originally supposed to play the world number one player, An Se-young, before the draw changed.

• Yvonne Li, who defeated Sindhu, entered the tournament as a reserve player after several others pulled out.

• Lakshya Sen has now lost in the first round of eight different tournaments during the 2026 season.

• Kidambi Srikanth moved to the next round after winning his match in straight games with scores of 22-20 and 21-19.

• Teenager Tanvi Sharma will now face Yvonne Li to compete for a spot in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

What's next

The tournament continues in Denmark with the remaining Indian players fighting for titles. Kidambi Srikanth will now face Alex Lanier from France, who is the seventh seed in the competition. Young Tanvi Sharma has a chance to avenge Sindhu’s loss when she plays against Yvonne Li. These matches will test if India can still find success even when its top stars are out. These losses come at a strange time. Just a few weeks ago, both the men’s and women’s hockey teams won gold medals at the Asian Games. This contrast raises big questions. Is the coaching system working for the top players? How can the sport build more depth (a larger number of skilled players)? Fans will be watching closely to see if the younger generation can fill the gap left by the veterans.