Lakshya Sen leads India’s challenge at China Masters 2026 against newly crowned world champion Alex Lanier, while Satwik-Chirag and rising stars Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma and Devika Sihag look to make an impact ahead of the Asian Games.
Lakshya Sen will begin India’s campaign at the China Masters 2026 with one of the toughest possible opening-round assignments, taking on newly crowned world champion Alex Lanier of France at the Shenzhen Sports Centre Gymnasium. The BWF Super 750 tournament will be held from September 1 to 6.
World No. 13 Lakshya enters the competition determined to make a strong comeback after an early exit from the recent World Championships in New Delhi. The Indian shuttler was beaten in the second round by USA’s Garret Tan and will now face another formidable opponent in Lanier.
Lanier arrives in Shenzhen with considerable momentum after producing a historic performance at the World Championships. The Frenchman became the first player from France to win the men’s singles world title, making his clash with Lakshya one of the most anticipated matches of the opening round.
The two players have met only once previously. Lanier defeated Lakshya in straight games in the quarter-finals of last year’s Denmark Open. Lakshya will therefore have an opportunity to even the head-to-head record and gain an important victory against one of the world’s leading players.
India’s men’s singles campaign will also feature experienced shuttler Kidambi Srikanth. The former world No. 1 will bring considerable experience to the draw after finishing runner-up at the US Open in June.
However, Ayush Shetty will not be part of the Indian contingent in Shenzhen. Shetty had delivered one of India’s notable performances at the World Championships by defeating 2025 world champion Shi Yuqi in the opening round. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is also absent from the China Masters field.
In men’s doubles, world No. 5 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will lead India’s challenge. The fourth-seeded pair will enter the Super 750 tournament with confidence after winning the Singapore Badminton Open in May and reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championships. MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan will also compete in the men’s doubles draw.
India’s women’s singles challenge will focus on a young generation of shuttlers. Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma and Devika Sihag will represent the country in Shenzhen.
Eighteen-year-old Unnati, currently ranked world No. 25, recently made her World Championships debut and advanced to the second round before losing a closely fought three-game match against Canada’s Michelle Li. Tanvi, ranked world No. 26, has enjoyed a breakthrough season, highlighted by her maiden BWF World Tour title at the Taipei Open. Devika, meanwhile, arrives in China after winning the Thailand Masters earlier this year.
The three young players are also members of India’s badminton squad for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, making the China Masters an important competitive opportunity before the continental event.
In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, along with Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, will carry India’s hopes. India will have no entries in women’s doubles. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who recently won a historic bronze medal at the World Championships, are among the players skipping the tournament.
The China Masters is particularly significant for India because 11 members of the country’s 20-player Asian Games badminton squad will compete in Shenzhen. Lakshya, Srikanth, Unnati, Tanvi, Devika, Satwiksairaj, Chirag, Arjun, Hariharan, Dhruv and Tanisha will use the tournament as valuable preparation for the Asian Games, scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4.
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India will also be seeking a historic breakthrough at the China Masters. Since the tournament was introduced in 2005, no Indian player has won the title. With a mixture of established stars and emerging talent, the 2026 edition offers another opportunity for India to challenge the leading names on the BWF circuit and potentially end that long wait.
China Masters 2026: India Squad
- Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth
- Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, MR Arjun/Hariharan Amsakarunan
- Women’s singles: Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag
- Mixed doubles: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde
- Women’s doubles: No Indian entries
