Kidambi Srikanths Title Dreams Dashed at US Open Badminton Final

June 29, 2026

Fullerton, June 29: Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth’s wait for a BWF World Tour title continues. In the finals of the US Open Badminton tournament, Srikanth faced defeat against Taiwan’s Su Li-yang.

The 33-year-old Srikanth put up a tough fight against his nine years younger opponent. He made every effort to stage a comeback, but ultimately lost the match after an hour and nine minutes, with scores of 15-21, 21-16, and 9-21.

Since winning the French Open in 2017, Srikanth has not secured any BWF Tour titles. After the match, he stated, “I believe that what I am doing is working. I just need to keep working hard. I feel I am there, but it’s about winning those crucial points. He (Su Li-yang) has been playing very well in recent months. Today was a day when he played well on the points that mattered.”

This was the third encounter between Srikanth and Su Li-yang, with each player having won one match prior. Their last meeting occurred in May during the pre-quarterfinals of the Thailand Open, where Su Li-yang emerged victorious in three games.

In the first game of the final, Su Li-yang took a strong lead of 10-5. However, Srikanth made a remarkable comeback to level the score at 10-10. Su then won seven consecutive points, securing the first game 21-15.

In the second game, Srikanth showcased improved performance. The initial phase saw a close contest, but Srikanth gained a solid lead of 20-13. He capitalized on his fourth game point to win the second game 21-16, leveling the match.

However, the effort from the second game took its toll in the third. Srikanth’s pace slowed, and fatigue became evident. Su Li-yang seized the opportunity, dominating the final game and winning it 21-9, thus clinching the match.

Speaking to BWF, Su Li-yang expressed, “I still can’t believe I did this. I am very happy and excited. By the last game, we were both quite tired. At that moment, I told myself to stay focused, keep fighting, and trust myself. I am very proud of my performance. I have worked hard for this moment. I have wanted to win a BWF World Tour title for a long time, and this is my first. I am confident I can win many more titles in the future.”