Kidambi Srikanth had reached a BWF World Tour event final after seven months, following his runner-up finish at the Syed Modi India International in November 2025. Yet, just like his previous final appearance, he had to settle for a runner-up finish at the US Open on Sunday, June 28.
The former World No. 1 Indian shuttler’s wait for his first BWF World Tour title was extended further as he went down to China’s Su Li Yang in the men’s singles final at the US Open Super 300 in Fullerton.
The 33-year-old, facing an opponent nine years younger than him, fought hard and forced Li Yang to dig deep for winners. But Srikanth could not avoid a 21-15, 16-21, 21-9 defeat in a contest that lasted one hour and nine minutes.
It was Li Yang who got off the blocks quickly in the opening game, racing to a 10-5 lead. Srikanth fought back to level the scores at 10-10 before the Chinese shuttler reeled off seven consecutive points to run away with the game.
Srikanth kept pace with the Chinese shuttler through the first half of the second game before raising the tempo to surge from 15-13 to 20-13. He eventually converted his fourth game point to force a decider. However, the effort appeared to take a toll on Srikanth’s tiring legs.
Though he stayed with Li Yang until 9-7 in the deciding game, the 24-year-old then won eight straight points to seal the match.
En route to the final, Srikanth produced the tournament’s ultimate act of sportsmanship during a tense semifinal. When officials refused to overturn a wrong call despite heavy protests, he walked up to the referee and conceded the point, handing it back to Japan’s Koo Takahashi Okimoto.
Srikanth is a winner of six BWF Super Series titles, the predecessor to the BWF World Tour. His achievements include a remarkable 2017 season, when he won four titles.
While the title once again eluded him, the run to the final marked another encouraging chapter in Srikanth’s bid to revive his career at the highest level. The World Championships silver medallist showed glimpses of the resilience and shot-making that once made him one of the world’s most feared shuttlers, even if Sunday’s final ended in disappointment.