Kidambi Srikanth came tantalisingly close to ending a stubborn nine-year individual title drought on Sunday, settling for a runner-up finish at the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament in Fullerton, California. Playing in his first BWF World Tour final of the 2026 season, the 33-year-old veteran produced a vintage, gutsy performance before eventually running out of steam against Chinese Taipei’s Su Li-yang.
In a gruelling physical battle lasting an hour and nine minutes at the Titan Gymnasium, Srikanth bounced back from a game down to force a decider, but ultimately succumbed to his opponent’s relentless pace and youth, losing 15-21, 21-16, 9-21.
The former World No. 1, who had spent significant energy surviving a three-game marathon against Japan’s Yudai Okimoto in the semi-finals, looked sharp early on. A rare net fault disrupted his initial rhythm, but Srikanth regrouped from 2-7 down with an array of trademark powerful smashes to lead 11-10 at the first interval. However, the world number 46 used tactical deception to quicken the pace after the break, pulling away to claim the opening game.
Srikanth, however, fought back to take the second game and kept pace with his younger opponent in the decider.
The psychological breaking point for Srikanth arrived right at that final interval. Visibly drenched and exhausted, his request to change shirts was flatly denied by the chair umpire. Visibly upset by the decision, the veteran’s composure fractured. Srikanth simply could not match the sudden, explosive intensity of his opponent, managing to win just two more points as Su reeled off an aggressive, unanswered streak to seal his maiden World Tour crown.
Despite the agonising end, Srikanth, whose last title came back at the 2017 French Open, prefers to view the tournament as a massive step in the right direction.
“I feel like I played okay,” Srikanth reflected after the match.
“I could have played a little better in the opening set. The second half of the third set, he was just hitting really well, all of a sudden. I just feel like whatever I have been doing is working. I just have to keep working hard. I feel like I am there, it’s just about being able to win those crucial points. He has been playing really well in the last few months. It’s another day where he played exceptionally well during the points that really matter.”
The run in California serves as a quiet vindication for the seasoned campaigner. Srikanth has fallen well down the national pecking order over the last few years, losing his permanent singles spot in major individual events. For the upcoming Asian Games, India will be represented in the singles category by youngsters Ayush Shetty and Lakshya Sen.
Yet, the 33-year-old is refusing to read the twilight script. By pushing his body through the physical rigours of Fullerton, Srikanth has proven he still belongs in the mix, leaving the United States with the reassuring knowledge that the boyhood joy and competitive edge are very much intact.
– Ends
