As the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2023 upgrades to Super 750 status for the first time, the country is gearing up to witness top-notch badminton action at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from January 17-22. .
Distinguished names from around the world will grace the prestigious tournament with their dynamic performances, making the event a one-of-a-kind spectacle for sports fans nationwide. Here are the top 10 female commuters to watch out for at India’s biggest badminton event, hosted by the Badminton Association of India.
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1) Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
World No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi is the first to win her maiden Yonex-Sunrise India Open title. With back-to-back World Championship gold medals in 2021 and 2022 under her belt, she is one of only two Japanese singles players to have won the coveted tournament. The 25-year-old’s fast, diligent and patient style of play propelled her to the English Open and Japan Open titles as well as the Asian Championships silver medal l ‘last year. Her dazzling performances saw her start 2023 in style by making the Malaysian Open final and she will be keen to continue that form in India as well.
2) Chen Yufei (Chinese)
Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Chen Yufei arrives in India hoping to kick off the new year with her first Super 750 title in more than three years. The world No. 2 has had a frustrating 2022, having lost seven BWF World Tour finals. Although Yufei prevailed at the Indonesia Masters, she lost two Super 300, Super 500 and Super 750 events each while battling in her first World Championships final against Akane Yamaguchi last year. However, she will be determined to avenge those losses and aim for the first Yonex-Sunrise India Open title.
3) An Se-young (South Korea)
Young South Korean commuter An Se-young turned heads with a superb performance on the BWF Tour. At only 20 years old, she already has 11 BWF World Tour titles to her name and also five finalists. Ranked fourth in the world, Seyoung also picked up bronze at the World Championships and Asian Championships last year and was also part of the national team that triumphed at the 2022 Uber Cup. His high ceiling and abundance of talent make her one of the top young prospects participating in the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2023.
4) PV Sindhu (Inside)
Widely regarded as one of India’s most accomplished sports personalities, PV Sindhu will be keen to replicate his exploits of 2017 and win the Yonex-Sunrise India Open for the second time in his career. A five-time World Championship medalist in women’s singles, the 27-year-old is India’s first and only champion of the tournament, having beaten Nozomi Okuhara in the 2019 final and also has two Olympic medals to her name. The current world number 7 clinched gold at the Commonwealth Games last year to become the second women’s singles player to win a full streak of gold, silver and bronze medals at the event. Home crowds will be raising the roof when the shuttle star takes to the pitch to show off his supreme level of play against the best in the world.
5) Ratchanok Intanon (Thailande)
The 2013 world champion has won the Yonex-Sunrise India Open three times in her career, going all the way in the 2013, 2016 and 2019 editions of the tournament. Currently ranked sixth in the world rankings, she is the first singles player from Thailand to not only be ranked number one in the world, but also to win the Asian Championships. Ratchanok won the 2022 Malaysia Open beating Chen Yufei in the final, her first and only Super 750 triumph. The 27-year-old will be looking forward to adding another title as she continues her fine form in badminton’s biggest tournament. from India.
6) Carolina Marin (Spain)
Highly decorated shuttle Carolina Marin, who is one of the biggest names in women’s singles badminton, is set to storm the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2023. Three-time world champion Marin also won the gold medal. 2016 Olympic gold and held the No. 1 ranking in the world for 66 consecutive weeks. However, despite winning almost every major tournament, the Spaniard is yet to win the prestigious Indian tournament and will be looking to put on her best game to win her first BWF World Tour title since the Swiss Open. 2021.
7. He Bing Jiao (Chinese)
2014 Youth Olympics champion He Bing Jio will be another Chinese player to watch in women’s singles at the 2023 Yonex-Sunrise Indian Open after Chen Yufei. World number 5 Bing Jiao ended 2022 on a high note by winning the Danish Open and French Open titles ahead of the semi-finals of the year-end World Tour final. The 25-year-old was unable to continue his streak in 2023, losing in the round of 16 at the first tournament of the year, the Malaysia Open. However, two-time World Championship medalist Bing Jiao will be keen to get back into shape when she competes at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open.
8. Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan (Chinese)
The world No. 1 Chinese duo will arguably be the biggest threat in the women’s doubles competition as they take part in the Yonex-Sunrise Indian Open 2023 after finishing last year on a high note, winning the World Tour final in December. The in-form pair also kicked off the year on a sensational note by winning the Malaysian Open. In addition to winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and three gold medals at the World Championships (2017, 2021 and 2022), Qing Chen and Yi Fan won seven titles together in 2022.
9. Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida (Japon)
The deadly combination of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida has been impressive since they were young. In the junior circuit, they won bronze medals at the World Championships as well as at the Asian Championships together in 2015. The Japanese duo won the Indonesia Open, the Thailand Open and the Asian Championships. England last year. The upcoming Yonex-Sunrise India Open will be Matsuyama and Shida’s first tournament of 2023 as the world No. 2 pair will aim to make an impressive start to the new year.
10. Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan (Malaysia)
Defending Commonwealth Games champions Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan are sixth in the women’s doubles world rankings. The Malaysian pair clinched the French Open title last year and also made semi-final appearances in three tournaments. After a first-round exit at the Malaysian Open, the pair will be looking to get back to winning ways when they arrive in New Delhi this week.
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