After Ayush Shetty’s historic victory over World No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi, the Men’s Singles draw at the 2026 BWF World Championship saw another major upset, but this time it hurt Indian fans as Lakshya Sen was knocked out by the United States of America’s (USA) Garlett Tan in the second round of the competition.
The 18-year-old won a three-set thriller as he made an incredible comeback by a margin of 19-21, 21-19, and 21-17 to seal victory in a match that lasted 73 minutes. Garlett is ranked 93 in the world, while Sen is the 14th seed and also a former medalist after securing a bronze in the 2021 edition.
Garlett Tan Had Return Tickets Booked
Speaking in the mixed zone after his victory, Tan revealed that he had already booked his return tickets for Friday (August 21), which is a date of the quarter-finals. If the teenager wins his Round of 16 clash tomorrow against 2023 world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn, he will be playing on the day he booked his ticket.
“No. I was supposed to leave on Friday. Guess we are going to see how that goes but it is worth waiting for,” said Tan to reporters.
Garlett Tan Trains Alone
Tan further revealed he is not a full-time coach at the moment and trains alone. He claimed that his childhood coach was in his chair, who is also the USA contingent’s team manager. “So it was really… really helpful for them to support me,” said Tan. He revealed that while coming into the tournament, he spent two weeks in Taiwan; he usually trains in Los Angeles by himself.
“I started training at 8. I started playing internationally at 14, and these are my first World Championships too. And to be such a great player like Lakshya it is good.” Tan revealed his journey as a badminton player.
Lakshya Sen Hails Tan
After his defeat, Lakhya reserved high praise for the American teenager starlet and conceded that he was the better player in the match. The 2021 Paris Olympics semi-finalist further stated he played catch-up in the game.
“He was just a better player for most part. I would give a lot of credit to him. I had given everything I had but I spent most of the match playing catch-up. He played a very solid game. I gave it my all, but it was just not enough to win this match,” said Lakshya.