Top Indian badminton player, Lakshya Sen, is doubtful to attend the upcoming Thailand Open 2026, after sustaining an elbow injury during the Thomas Cup. The Super 500 badminton tournament is scheduled to take place from May 12-17 in Bangkok. The tournament is doubtful for the world No. 11 player. Lakshya is awaiting medical clearance to finalize the decision.
The injury was sustained after a fierce clash in the quarterfinals with Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen. The match was fast, with long, tiring rallies that tested both players to the limit. Interestingly, Lakshya did not realize the seriousness of the injury while still on the court. He was kept by the momentum and adrenaline of the match. He was able to finish the match while registering the injury.
The state of the injury changed after the match ended. As his body cooled, swelling and redness appeared on his elbow. The injury was now in a state of soreness. His support staff also began to worry. His coach stated that he noticed swelling during the match, but he did not alert Lakshya, because Sen was focused and did not appear to be sick.
After conducting an assessment, Sen’s team physiotherapists completely ruled out Sen from playing the semifinals against France. Continuing to play was bound to be more damaging to the injury. Keeping this in mind, the physiotherapists estimated a playing capacity of 60 to 70 percent maximum, and therefore, chose not to play Sen. Following this decision, India ultimately lost the semifinal, finishing with a bronze medal. Nevertheless, this result meant India’s second Thomas Cup medal following their historical break in 2022.
After the team returned to India from Denmark, Sen was able to go through with additional scans to analyze the full injury. From these scans, doctors will be able to see the full extent of the edema and surrounding tissues to see how full the injury actually is.
Currently, Sen is in a wait-and-watch situation. He hopes to schedule a follow-up with his personal doctor for the clearance to play in the Thailand Open. He will ultimately be dependent on the physician’s decision for his recovery. In consideration for the many upcoming tournaments in a busy season, a serious injury’s full recovery will take priority over taking the risk of severe complications