PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen Set to Return at Arctic Open Badminton

Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen are set to make their highly anticipated return to the court at the 2024 Arctic Open, as revealed in the tournament draw announced by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). 

Both players are looking to bounce back from their Paris Olympics performances, where neither secured a medal, but will now aim for strong showings in this BWF World Tour event.

For Sindhu, currently ranked 14th in the world, the Arctic Open will be her first competition since her Olympic campaign ended with a loss to China’s He Bing Jiao, the eventual silver medalist. Sindhu’s first-round opponent will be Canada’s Michelle Li, ranked 32nd. The two-time Olympic medalist will look to regain her form and momentum in this match, as she begins her path towards a potentially deep run in the tournament.

If Sindhu advances past the opening round, she is likely to face World No. 17 Tomoka Miyazaki of Japan in the second round. The quarterfinals could present a more formidable challenge with a potential clash against Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, who won bronze at the Paris Olympics. 

However, Sindhu has a favorable 10-2 career record against Tunjung, which could boost her confidence going into that encounter. If she progresses further, Sindhu might face top-ranked players such as Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon or China’s Wang Zhi Yi in the final. This tournament will also mark Sindhu’s first event with her new coaching team, comprising Anup Sridhar and Korea’s Lee Hyun Il.

On the men’s side, Lakshya Sen, who reached the semifinals in Paris, will also be back in action. Sen’s first-round opponent will be Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke, and should he advance, he could face Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen in the next round, followed by a potential quarterfinal against Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, both of whom are ranked higher than Sen.

In addition to Sindhu and Sen, several other Indian players will be competing at the Arctic Open. In the women’s singles, Malvika Bansod and Aakarshi Kashyap will be representing India, while in the women’s doubles, the Panda sisters, Rituparna and Swetparna, will also be in action. However, India’s top-ranked men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, remain unavailable for this tournament.