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Top five Indian badminton players with most BWF 1000 titles

The BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournaments represent the pinnacle of badminton tournaments, offering substantial prize money that can reach into the millions and drawing significant interest, akin to the Grand Slam events in tennis. Each year, four Super 1000 tournaments are held: the All England Open, the China Open, the Indonesia Open, and the Malaysia Open. Achieving victory at this level poses a considerable challenge, even for the most accomplished athletes in the sport.

As far as India is concerned, an epic turnaround began with Prakash Padukone’s remarkable win at the All England in 1980, and it continues today with Satwik-Chirag’s respective wins at the Indonesian Open in 2023.

In this article, let’s look at the top five Indian badminton players with the most BWF 1000 titles.

5. PV Sindhu (1)

PV Sindhu - Top five Indian badminton players with most BWF 1000 titles
PV Sindhu (Credits - India.Com)

PV Sindhu opens our list with her Super 1000 victory at the 2016 China Open, following her silver medal achievement at the Rio Olympics. The athlete from Hyderabad triumphed over Sun Yu with scores of 21-11, 17-21, and 21-11 in Fuzhou, showcasing her formidable baseline skills.

To get there, she defeated some top players, including He Bing Xiao. Sindhu also reached the final of the 2019 Indonesia Open, where she secured the runner-up position, further contributing to her collection of five World Championship medals and two Olympic victories.

4. Prakash Padukone (1)

Prakash Padukone - Top five Indian badminton players with most BWF 1000 titles
Prakash Padukone (Credits - ESPN)

Prakash Padukone has served as a prominent figure in Indian badminton, with his victory at the All England Championships in 1980 representing a significant milestone for the sport in India. He triumphed over the reigning world champion, Liem Swie King, with scores of 15-3 and 15-10. This achievement was succeeded by his appearance in the All England finals in 1981, where he faced King again but was defeated in a closely contested three-game match.

Padukone underwent training in Denmark under the guidance of Morten Frost, where he cultivated an artistic approach that emphasized outsmarting opponents rather than relying on sheer strength, thereby transforming Indian badminton permanently.

3. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/ Chirag Shetty (1)

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy And Chirag Shetty - Top five Indian badminton players with most BWF 1000 titles
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy(Left) & Chirag Shetty(Right) (Credits - BWF)

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are third on our list due to their triumph at the 2023 Indonesia Open, where they overcame Olympic medalists Chia/Soh with scores of 21-17 and 21-18. Following their success at the Indonesia Open, the pair demonstrated exceptional skill at the 2023 Asian Games, where they advanced through four top-ranked teams to secure the gold medal.

Their performance in the final of the 2024 Malaysia Open exemplifies their recent consistency in achieving success in Super 1000 tournaments.

2. Srikanth Kidambi (2)

Kidambi Srikanth - Top five Indian badminton players with most BWF 1000 titles
Srikanth Kidambi (Credits - Olympics.com)

Srikanth Kidambi takes the second position with two victories to his name. He achieved a remarkable upset against Lin Dan, winning with scores of 21-19 and 21-17 at the 2014 China Open. Subsequently, he triumphed over Kazumasa Sakai to secure the title at the 2017 Indonesia Open. This accomplishment made Srikanth the first Indian male athlete to claim multiple Super 1000 titles. His dynamic playing style has garnered admiration from esteemed figures such as Morten Frost.

1. Saina Nehwal (4)

Saina Nehwal - Top five Indian badminton players with most BWF 1000 titles
Saina Nehwal (Credits - Sky Sports)

Saina Nehwal tops the list with four victories at the Super 1000 level, demonstrating her prowess at the Indonesia Open in the years 2009, 2010, and 2012. Additionally, she claimed the title at the 2014 China Open, overcoming numerous Chinese competitors. Nehwal established new benchmarks in women's singles, notably achieving a 12-week period as World No. 1 in 2015.

Cover Credits - BWF

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