‘I’m not in my best form': Shi Yuqi reflects after shock loss to Lakshya Sen in All England Open 2026 first round

Ace Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen stunned World No 1 Shi Yuqi in the first round of the All England Open 2026, but the Chinese player wasn't surprised by the nature of his loss. This was because Shi Yuqi hadn't played in any tournament since January due to a back injury.

On Tuesday, Lakshya Sen beat his Chinese counterpart with a 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 scoreline.

“It is normal to lose a game, and especially when I haven’t played any tournament for so long and also from the back injury I had," Yuqi told Badminton World Federation (BWF) after the match.

Prior to the All England Open, the 30-year-old last played in the Malaysia Open in January and reached the final. Shi Yuqi, however, retired midway through the match against Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn due to a back injury. He had lost the first game 21-23 and was trailing the Thai 1-6 in the second game.

The last time Shi Yuqi was knocked out in the first round of a tournament was at the Thailand Open 2023, when he lost to India's Kiran George. 

He felt that both of them made a few mistakes despite Lakshya's aggressive attacking returns. Lakshya was more precise in his movement throughout the court when compared to his Chinese opponent. “We both made quite a few mistakes, but I think I’ve tried to play the best of what I could in this match," he said.

Coach Vimal Kumar, though, felt that Lakshya was spot on with his smashes. “He [Lakshya] was timing the smash well, and that made a huge impact. Shi was not expecting really hard smashes from Lakshya today,” he said. He also felt that Lakshya made Shi Yuqi work hard on the court.

“Right from the start, he made Shi work hard for every single point, and eventually the Chinese player began to tire. Overall, it was a very confidence-boosting win. Lakshya’s Holi gift for Indian Badminton today," opined the 63-year-old. Sen will next face Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long in the second round on Thursday.