Lakshya Sen's campaign at the 2026 BWF World Championships came to a disappointing end on Wednesday as the Indian shuttler suffered a shock defeat to Garret
Tan in the men's singles Round of 32.
"I gave it my all in the end, but it was just not enough to win this match. " Lakshya Sen said in the post-match media interaction at the mixed zone of the BWF World Championships.
Sen, who entered the tournament as one of India's potential dark horses on home soil, went down 21-19, 19-21, 17-21 in a gruelling contest that lasted one hour and 13 minutes. Tan delivered a remarkable performance to secure the biggest win of his career against the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist.
Who is Garret Tan?
Garret Tan's breakthrough victory over Lakshya Sen is the latest chapter in the remarkable rise of an 18-year-old who has quietly emerged as one of the United States' most promising badminton talents.
Born with Chinese Taipei and Malaysian roots, Tan has been making steady progress through the American badminton system. His international breakthrough began at the junior level in 2023, when, aged just 15 and ranked outside the world's top 300, he competed at tournaments such as the Sydney International. That year, he also represented the USA at the BWF World Junior Mixed Team Championships, where the team finished 10th.
Tan's progression continued at a rapid pace. By December last year, he had climbed to the top of the junior world rankings in men's singles, underlining his potential on the international stage. During the early stages of his career, his mother, Victoria, played a crucial role in his development, working as both his coach and manager while travelling with him to tournaments.
Currently ranked 92nd in the senior world rankings, Tan arrived in Delhi without much attention surrounding him. His limited experience at the highest level made his victory over Sen all the more surprising. The American is yet to feature in the main draw of a BWF World Tour Super 300 event or above, making his triumph over the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist a major milestone.
For American badminton, which has long struggled to establish itself among the sport's elite nations, Tan's emergence could be a significant turning point. His stunning victory in Delhi not only marks the biggest win of his young career but also offers a glimpse of what the USA's next generation could achieve on the global stage.
