BWF Japan Open 2024: Top 10 players who have withdrawn

Lakshya Sen is among four Indians who have withdrawn from the Super 750 tournament.

The Japan Open 2024, a BWF Super 750 badminton tournament, faces a unique situation this year. Typically attracting top talent, the event has seen several high-profile withdrawals, largely due to its scheduling after the Paris Olympics. While the men’s singles and women’s doubles categories will still see some star-studded lineups, the women’s singles competition has been particularly affected.

Many top female players have opted to take a break following their Olympic campaigns, leading to a noticeable absence in this category. The altered player field may offer opportunities for emerging talents to shine on a major stage.

Let’s look at the top 10 players who have withdrawn from Japan Open 2024:

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty

Former world number one men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India have pulled out of the tournament. Rankireddy shared on Instagram that the duo plans to “start from basics again” and promises a strong comeback. The pair, known as the “brothers of destruction”, exited the Olympics in the quarterfinals, losing to Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.

An Se Young

Olympic women’s singles champion An Se Young of Korea has also withdrawn. The 22-year-old is taking a break but is expected to return for her home tournament in Korea. An Se-young won gold in Paris, defeating China’s He Bing Jiao in the final.

PV Sindhu

India’s PV Sindhu, who lost in the Olympic round of 16 at Paris Olympics against He Bing Jiao, will be absent from both the Japan Open and Korea Open. The 29-year-old former World Champion is taking an extended break from competition.

Chen Yufei

Chen Yufei of China, the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist who failed to defend her title in Paris, has also withdrawn. Chen lost in the Olympic quarterfinals to her compatriot He Bing Jiao. She will skip both the Japan and Korea Open, aiming to return at the Hong Kong Open

Aaron Chia/Soh Woo Yik

Olympic bronze medallists in men’s doubles, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia, have pulled out of the Japan Open. The world number three pair will rest after securing one of Malaysia’s two medals at Paris Olympics.

Also Read: Top five youngest medallist at badminton in olympics

HS Prannoy

The 32-year-old Indian veteran who has been struggling with his fitness lately has also withdrawn. He lost in the Round of 16 at the Olympics to his compatriot Lakshya Sen. HS Prannoy who recently recovered from Chikungunya has not been at his best and was struggling a lot. In the last edition of Japan Open he lost in the quarter-final to Viktor Axelsen in three games.

Lakshya Sen

The Indian superstar who impressed everyone recently with his performance at Paris has also withdrawn from the competition. Lakshya Sen was superb in the Olympics but failed to win a medal as he lost to Lee Zii Jia in the bronze medal match and finished fourth. Lakshya reached the semifinals in the last edition of Japan Open where he lost to Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.

Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong

The Olympic champions in the mixed double category has also taken their name back. The world no #1 will be on a well-deserved break and will be seen in action at the China Open directly. They defeated Kim/Jeong of Korea in the finals to clinch the gold medal at Paris. In the last edition, they lost in the semifinals to the eventual champion Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan.

Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping

The World no #3 had a disappointing run at Paris Olympics. They finished runner-up in their group after losing to Chen/Toh of Malaysia. In the quarterfinals, they lost to compatriots and the eventual Champions Zheng/Huang.

Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti

The World No #8 also had a disappointing Olympics campaign. They were in the group of death and finished last after failing to win a single match in the group stage. Apriyani who won the gold medal at Tokyo along with her partner will be taking a break. They are not participating in the next two tournaments also and will directly participate in the China Open. They lost in the first round of the last edition.

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