BWF French Open 2025: Unnati Hooda falls in Round of 16 as India's campaign ends

Defending champions Satwik-Chirag exited in the first round at BWF French Open 2025.

India’s campaign at the BWF French Open 2025 came to an abrupt end on Thursday, October 23, with all its shuttlers bowing out following the exit of rising star Unnati Hooda in the round of 16 on Thursday.

After the early shocking departures of India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and singles stars Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty, 18-year-old Unnati Hooda emerged as the lone bright spot for the Indian contingent.

Hooda showed her brilliance in the first round by pulling off a stunning comeback against Malaysia’s Letshanaa Karupathevan, winning 11-21, 21-13, 21-16.

Her fight earned her a spot in the pre-quarterfinals as India’s last hope in singles. However, her journey ended against China’s World No. 2 Wang Zhiyi, where she fought hard but ultimately lost 14-21, 11-21.

In mixed doubles, the Indian pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde cleared the opening round by defeating Ukraine’s Oleksii Titov and Yevheniia Kantemyr, but their run ended in the round of 16 against French fifth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in a three-game thriller, 23–21, 8–21, 17–21.

The women’s doubles team of Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi also bowed out in the second round, losing 7-21, 9-21 to Korea’s World No. 3 pair Kim Hye Jeong and Kong Hee Yong.

However, the biggest shock of the tournament came earlier for India’s top and the world No. 3 men’s doubles duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.

Also Read: Full list of players who have withdrawn from BWF French Open 2025

The two-time French Open champions were stunned by the unseeded Indonesian pair Rahmat Hidayat and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, losing 18-21, 20-22. Moreover, it was Sat-Chi’s first-ever early exits at the French Open 2025.

The defeat was especially disheartening following their stellar semi-final run at the Denmark Open last week where Satwik-Chirag had defeated the same Indonesians in quarterfinals. The win had aslo confirmed their spots at the 2025 BWF World Tour Finals.

India saw the absence of several of its top badminton stars in France. Notable non-participants included P.V. Sindhu in women’s singles, H.S. Prannoy in men’s singles, the mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, and the women’s doubles duo Rutuparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda.

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