Lakshya Sen ended his dry spell on the international circuit by clinching the Australian Open Super 500 title on Sunday, November 23, 2025. The 24-year-old Indian shuttler defeated Japan's Yushi Tanaka in the men's singles final, marking his first title of the season.

Sen displayed a dominant performance against the 26-year-old Tanaka, winning the match in straight games, 21-15, 21-11, in just 38 minutes. This victory comes after a challenging period for Sen, especially after finishing fourth at the Paris Olympics. Celebrating the win, Sen put his fingers in his ears.

The Australian Open title is Sen's first top-tier crown since his triumph at the Canada Open in 2024. Although he reached the final of the Hong Kong Super 500 in September, the title had eluded him until now. In 2024, he had also won a Super 300 title at the Syed Modi International in Lucknow.

En route to the final, the World No. 14 had a remarkable semi-final clash against Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei, the world number 6. Sen saved three match points in that thrilling encounter, eventually winning 17-21, 24-22, 21-16 in 86 minutes at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. This was Sen's fourth victory over Chou Tien Chen in eight meetings, having previously defeated him at the Hong Kong Open earlier in the year.

In the semi-final match against Chou Tien Chen, the 2022 World Championships bronze medallist, Chou Tien Chen, initially took control, leading 4-0 in the first game and winning it 21-17. Sen then tightened his game, leveling the score in the second game after trailing 7-4. He overturned a 14-17 deficit to lead 20-18, ultimately saving three match points to win the game 24-22 and force a decider. With momentum on his side, Sen dominated the third game to secure his place in the final.

Before his semi-final win, Lakshya had defeated fellow Indian player Ayush Shetty in the quarter-finals. However, the top-seeded men's doubles pair, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, faced a quarter-final exit on Friday.