In a historic night for Indian badminton at the US Open 2025, Tanvi Sharma and Ayush Shetty have stormed into the finals of the women's and men's singles, respectively. The BWF Super 300 event, held in Council Bluffs, Iowa, witnessed the young Indian shuttlers produce stunning performances to secure their places in the summit clash.
Sixteen-year-old Tanvi Sharma achieved a significant milestone, becoming the youngest Indian badminton player to reach a BWF World Tour final. Currently ranked World No. 66, Tanvi displayed a commanding performance against seventh-seed Polina Buhrova of Ukraine, securing a 21-14, 21-16 victory in just 34 minutes. Tanvi's journey to the final included wins over second seed Thuy Linh Nguyen of Vietnam and former junior world champion Pitchamon Opatniputh of Thailand. Tanvi will now face top seed Beiwen Zhang of the USA in the final. A win would make her the youngest Indian to claim a BWF World Tour title.
Ayush Shetty, aged 20, also had a remarkable run, marked by a stunning comeback against top seed and World No. 9, Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei. After narrowly losing the first game 21-23, Ayush bounced back to dominate the next two games 21-15, 21-14, securing his maiden BWF World Tour final appearance. The match lasted 67 minutes. In the final, Ayush will face third seed Brian Yang of Canada. Ayush holds a 2-0 head-to-head record against Yang.
Tanvi Sharma trains at the BAI's National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) praised Tanvi, acknowledging her intelligent, smart, and gutsy play. Earlier in the tournament, Tanvi defeated her higher-ranked Malaysian opponent Karupathevan Letshanaa 21-13, 21-16 in the quarter-finals.
Ayush had previously reached the third position at the Orleans Masters earlier this year. In the quarter-finals, Ayush defeated junior world champion Kuo Kuan Lin of Chinese Taipei 22-20, 21-9.
These achievements mark a new era for Indian badminton, showcasing the talent and determination of young players on the global stage.
