New Delhi, India: American teenager Garret Tan produced one of the biggest badminton upsets of the 2026 BWF World Championships on Wednesday, eliminating India’s world No. 14 Lakshya Sen in a dramatic three-game battle at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Making his World Championships debut, the 18-year-old world No. 92 showed remarkable composure in front of a heavily partisan home crowd to defeat the 14th-seeded Indian 21-19, 19-21, 21-17 after 73 minutes.
The victory sent Tan into the round of 16 and ended the medal hopes of one of India’s leading men’s singles players.
Garret Tan Completes Biggest Win of His Career
The final rally captured the drama of the contest.
With Tan holding match point, Sen produced another desperate diving retrieval that left the American with what appeared to be a straightforward opportunity at the net.
Tan’s reply came dangerously close to the line, but the shuttle landed inside to complete the biggest victory of his young career.
The American immediately dropped to his knees in disbelief, covering his face as he tried to take in what he had accomplished. On the opposite side of the court, an exhausted Sen remained down after a physically demanding match.
“I’m super happy with the win. It’s my first World Championships, and defeating such a big player means a lot.”
- Winner: Garret Tan of the United States
- Defeated: Lakshya Sen of India
- Score: 21-19, 19-21, 21-17
- Match duration: 73 minutes
- Round: Men’s singles round of 32
World No. 92 Refuses to Play Like an Underdog
Tan entered the match as the clear underdog against a player ranked 78 places above him, but there was little evidence of that gap once the match began.
The American attacked aggressively from the opening rallies and used his height, reach and jumping ability to generate steep angles with his smashes.
Instead of simply trying to extend rallies against the more experienced Indian, Tan repeatedly looked for opportunities to take control.
That approach paid off in the opening game as he edged Sen 21-19 and immediately placed the home favorite under pressure.
Lakshya Sen Forces a Deciding Game
Sen responded in the second game as the match became increasingly physical.
Tan continued to attack, while Sen relied heavily on his movement and defensive retrievals to stay alive in rallies.
The Indian eventually found enough consistency to take the second game 21-19 and force the contest into a decider.
Despite losing the game, Tan did not become more conservative.
He continued to attack in the third, and an unsettled Sen offered several opportunities through loose lifts and short returns.
Tan Races Into Commanding Lead in Decider
The American made a sensational start to the third game and surged to a commanding 12-4 advantage.
Sen was forced into survival mode, repeatedly diving around the court to extend rallies and prevent Tan from pulling completely out of reach.
The Indian gradually reduced the deficit as fatigue began to affect both players.
Tan also experienced a brief spell of errors around the net as the pressure of closing out the biggest match of his career became increasingly apparent.
Sen continued fighting, but he could not completely erase the deficit.
At the most important stage of the match, Tan adjusted his attack rather than repeatedly directing the shuttle into the same area.
“In the third game, I kept hitting to one side and he kept retrieving. In the last couple of points, I changed direction, and it worked well.”
That adjustment helped Tan close out the deciding game 21-17 and secure his place among the final 16 players in the men’s singles draw.
Lakshya Sen Credits Garret Tan After Defeat
Sen acknowledged afterward that his younger opponent had dictated much of the match.
“It was a good match. I will give a lot of credit to the opponent. He played really well and was quite dominant throughout the game.”
The Indian also admitted the physical contest had taken its toll.
“In the third game, we were both exhausted. I gave my all, but it wasn’t enough.”
Sen went directly to the medical room following the match after a series of diving retrievals left him with scratches on his leg.
Another Frustrating Early Exit for Lakshya Sen
The defeat adds another frustrating chapter to an inconsistent season for Sen.
Although he reached the All England final earlier in 2026, he has struggled to reproduce that level consistently across the World Tour.
The loss to Tan marked another round-of-32 exit for the Indian this season and came at the worst possible time, with the World Championships being staged in front of a home crowd in New Delhi.
Sen had entered the tournament among India’s leading medal hopes, but his campaign ended before the last 16.
Who Is Garret Tan?
Tan’s breakthrough victory also introduced the 18-year-old to a much wider badminton audience.
He was born in Taiwan to parents from Malaysia before his family moved to the United States when he was only eight months old.
Now based in Los Angeles, Tan began training in badminton at the age of eight under coach Paula Lynn.
His rise through the junior ranks eventually took him to world No. 1 at junior level, giving an early indication of his potential.
The World Championships in New Delhi are not his first experience competing in India. Tan also played at the 2025 World Junior Championships in Guwahati, where he reached the fourth round.
Less than a year later, he returned to India and produced the most significant senior victory of his career.
Garret Tan to Face Kunlavut Vitidsarn Next
Tan’s reward for defeating Sen is an even bigger challenge in the round of 16.
The American will face Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, one of the leading men’s singles players in world badminton.
Kunlavut advanced after defeating Israel’s Daniil Dubovenko 21-17, 21-19.
- Winner: Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand
- Defeated: Daniil Dubovenko of Israel
- Score: 21-17, 21-19
- Next opponent: Garret Tan of the United States
Tan will once again enter as the underdog, but after eliminating Sen in front of the Indian’s home supporters, there will be considerably more attention on the American teenager.
Li Shifeng Ends Leong Jun Hao’s World Championships Run
Malaysia suffered disappointment in men’s singles as Leong Jun Hao was eliminated by China’s Li Shifeng.
Li won a closely contested match 21-19, 21-19, with Jun Hao staying within striking distance in both games but unable to find the points needed during the closing stages.
- Winner: Li Shifeng of China
- Defeated: Leong Jun Hao of Malaysia
- Score: 21-19, 21-19
Li will next face Japan’s 10th seed Kodai Naraoka.
Loh Kean Yew Battles Past Lee Cheuk Yiu
Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew also advanced after recovering from a game down against Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu.
Lee claimed the opening game 21-15, but Loh responded by taking the second 21-17 before completing the comeback 21-15 in the decider.
- Winner: Loh Kean Yew of Singapore
- Defeated: Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong
- Score: 15-21, 21-17, 21-15
Loh will next meet Canada’s Victor Lai.
Victor Lai Advances With Straight-Game Victory
Victor Lai booked his place in the next round with an emphatic victory over American Mark Shelley Alcala.
The Canadian controlled the contest from the opening rallies and won 21-7, 21-14.
- Winner: Victor Lai of Canada
- Defeated: Mark Shelley Alcala of the United States
- Score: 21-7, 21-14
- Next opponent: Loh Kean Yew of Singapore
Wan Arif-Yap Roy King Reach Next Round in Men’s Doubles
Malaysia received better badminton news in men’s doubles as Wan Arif Wan Junaidi and Yap Roy King continued their strong World Championships campaign.
The Malaysian pair defeated Indonesia’s 12th seeds Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin 21-16, 21-19.
Wan Arif and Yap controlled the opening game before holding their nerve during a tighter second game to complete the straight-game victory.
- Winners: Wan Arif Wan Junaidi/Yap Roy King of Malaysia
- Defeated: Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin of Indonesia
- Score: 21-16, 21-19
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty Await Wan Arif-Yap
The Malaysians now face a major test against India’s fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
Playing an established Indian pair in front of the New Delhi crowd will present a very different challenge for Wan Arif and Yap, but the Malaysians will enter the match with confidence after eliminating a seeded Indonesian partnership.
Garret Tan Becomes One of the Biggest Stories of 2026 World Championships
The biggest badminton news from Wednesday, however, belonged to Garret Tan.
A player ranked No. 92 in the world arrived for his first senior World Championships without the expectations carried by many of the tournament’s seeded stars.
Seventy-three minutes later, he had eliminated the world No. 14, silenced much of the home crowd and secured a place in the last 16.
At just 18 years old, Tan still has a long way to go in his development, and Kunlavut Vitidsarn will provide another formidable test in the next round.
But regardless of what happens next, defeating Lakshya Sen on the Indian’s home court has already ensured that Garret Tan’s name will be remembered as one of the breakthrough stories of the 2026 BWF World Championships.
