Lakshya Sen has advanced to the second round of the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2025, a BWF World Tour Super 500 event, currently held in Kumamoto, Japan. The tournament, which runs from November 11-16, 2025, carries significant weight for Sen, who is aiming to secure a spot in the BWF World Tour Finals.
Sen's victory in the opening round keeps his hopes alive for qualifying for the season-ending tournament. Ranked 15th globally and 13th in the Race to Finals standings, Sen realistically needs to reach at least the semi-finals to challenge the world's top eight. This puts immense pressure on each match.
The Japan Masters is an annual badminton tournament held in Japan. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) categorizes the Japan Masters as one of the nine BWF World Tour Super 500 events. The city of Kumamoto will host the tournament for the 2023–2026 BWF World Tour cycle. The total prize money for the 2025 Japan Masters is USD $475,000.
Other Indian players, including H.S. Prannoy, Kiran George, Ayush Shetty, and Tharun Mannepalli, are also participating in the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2025. The Super 500 tournament is crucial for players like George and Mannepalli, who are looking to maintain their positions in the top 40 and secure main draw entries for Super 500 and 750 events.
Loh Kean Yew of Singapore also progressed to the round of 16 at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2025, defeating Huang Ping-Hsien of Chinese Taipei. He will face Ogawa Shogo of Japan in the next round.
