Sydney, 23 Nov

Lakshya Sen snapped a prolonged title drought on Sunday, clinching his first trophy of the 2025 season with a straight-games win over Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in the Australian Open men’s singles final.

The 24-year-old, who has endured a difficult year marked by injuries and fluctuating form since finishing fourth at the Paris Olympics, delivered a confident 21-15, 21-11 victory in just 38 minutes at the USD 475,000 Super 500 event.

Relieved and emotional, Lakshya marked the win by placing his fingers over his ears, a gesture he has embraced during big moments.

"I’ve seen a lot of ups and downs this season… I kept working hard and I’m very happy to end the season on a good note," he said after the match.

This is Lakshya’s biggest title since the 2024 Canada Open. His last BWF World Tour win came at the Syed Modi International in Lucknow the same year.

Facing world No. 26 Tanaka, winner of the Orléans Masters and US Open this year, Lakshya looked in complete control. He dominated the net, read Tanaka’s lifts early and struck clean winners throughout, never allowing the Japanese shuttler to find rhythm.

His win also makes him only the second Indian to claim a BWF World Tour title this season, after Ayush Shetty’s Super 300 triumph at the US Open.

Backed by a strong Indian crowd in Sydney, Lakshya started sharply, forcing Tanaka into repeated errors to take a 9-6 lead. A 35-shot rally, ended by another Tanaka mis-hit, underlined the Indian’s early dominance.

Tanaka briefly closed the gap, but Lakshya kept a three-point cushion at the interval and dictated the tempo thereafter, using flat exchanges and fast pushes to stretch his opponent. A series of long errors from Tanaka handed Lakshya the opening game with ease.

The second game was even more one-sided. Lakshya raced to an 8-4 advantage and then a six-point lead at the interval with booming smashes and smart judgment at the back line. Tanaka’s trademark whipping smashes were inconsistent, and his mounting errors widened the gap to 17-8.

Lakshya then unleashed a flurry of winners to reach match point at 20-9. After missing one opportunity, he sealed the title with a crisp cross-court finish.

The Indian said staying calm despite his big lead was crucial.

"I didn’t want to relax too much. Even when I was ahead, I was trying to play one point at a time," he said.

With this victory, Lakshya ends a tough season on a high and heads into 2026 with renewed confidence.