Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen produced a masterclass in control and composure to claim the Australian Open 2025 men’s singles title, defeating Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21-15, 21-11 in Sydney on Sunday. The victory marked Lakshya’s first title of the calendar year and his third Super 500 crown, reaffirming his status as one of India’s brightest badminton stars.
The 23-year-old, who had battled through an 80-minute semifinal the previous day, needed just 38 minutes to seal the final. In doing so, he became only the second Indian man to win the Australian Open after Kidambi Srikanth’s triumph in 2017. The win added to Lakshya’s growing list of achievements, which already includes the Indian Open 2022 and Canada Open 2023 titles.
Lakshya made a confident start, opening up a 6-3 lead as Tanaka struggled to find rhythm, committing a series of unforced errors. A 35-shot rally ended with the Japanese shuttler once again finding the net, while Lakshya maintained pressure through flat, deep returns that restricted Tanaka’s attacking game. The Indian carried a three-point cushion into the mid-game interval as chants of “Lakshya! Lakshya!” echoed across the Sydney arena.
After the break, Lakshya tightened his grip on the contest, mixing sharp net play with explosive cross-court smashes. Although Tanaka briefly closed the gap to 12-13, the Indian quickly reasserted control, pulling ahead 17-13 with a superb backhand winner and a fierce cross-court smash. Two late errors from Tanaka handed Lakshya five game points, and he converted the first to take the opener 21-15.
The second game turned into a one-sided affair. Lakshya maintained his aggressive rhythm, pinning Tanaka to the backcourt and forcing repeated errors. His fast, flat exchanges denied the Japanese the angles for his trademark smashes. With each rally, the Indian’s confidence grew—stretching the lead to 10-5 before heading into the interval up 11-5.
From there, it was all one-way traffic. Lakshya’s sharp court awareness and precision shot-making pushed him to a commanding 17-8 lead, leaving Tanaka increasingly frustrated. A series of thundering smashes brought up ten match points, and though he missed one with a net error, Lakshya sealed the championship with a crisp cross-court return.
The triumph not only ended Lakshya’s title drought but also underlined his return to top form ahead of a busy international calendar. For the young Indian, Sydney proved a stage of resurgence and a statement that he remains a formidable force on the world circuit.
