India’s star men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered another injury setback after their comeback at the Japan Open 2026 ended prematurely, with Satwik’s recurring shoulder problem forcing the duo to retire from their opening-round match.Competing for the first time since last month’s Indonesia Open, the world No. 4 pair took on Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard in the opening round of the BWF Super 750 event in Tokyo. After narrowly losing the opening game 21-19, the Indians decided not to continue as Satwik’s shoulder injury flared up again. The setback comes as a major blow for the reigning Asian Games champions, who had only just returned to action after missing four tournaments. Satwik had aggravated the same shoulder injury during the opening round of the Indonesia Open, forcing the pair to spend several weeks on the sidelines. The latest injury also disrupts the momentum they had built after ending a two-year wait for a BWF World Tour title by lifting the Singapore Open crown in May.
China Open skipped, focus shifts to World Championships
India’s chief doubles coach Tan Kim Her confirmed that Satwik and Chirag will skip next week’s China Open to focus entirely on recovery. The duo is expected to undergo a four-week rehabilitation programme with the aim of regaining full fitness ahead of the BWF World Championships, which will be held in New Delhi next month. Sindhu, Dhruv-Tanisha provide bright spotsWhile Satwik and Chirag’s withdrawal was disappointing, the opening day in Tokyo produced encouraging results for other Indian shuttlers. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu eased into the second round with a commanding 21-14, 21-11 victory over Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching in just 35 minutes.India also celebrated success in mixed doubles as Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto defeated Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson 21-16, 21-14 to progress to the next round.However, it was an early exit for Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, who went down in straight games to China’s top-seeded pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping.
