It was a disappointing start to the India Open for the French men’s singles players, as both Toma Popov and Alex Lanier have been knocked out in the first round.

Popov faced Canadian World Championships bronze medallist Victor Lai. In the match, the young Canadian came out on top with a 21–12 16–21 21–8 victory. This marks a second consecutive first-round exit for Toma Popov, after he was also eliminated in the opening round last week, where he lost to Kenta Nishimoto.

Alex Lanier, on the other hand, had a solid start to 2026, reaching the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Open last week. However, there was no similar success for the young Frenchman this week. He suffered a surprise defeat to world number 26 Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei, losing 21–17 21–19.

On a more positive note, Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen progressed earlier today with a three-game win over South Korea’s Jeon Hyeok Jin, 18–21 21–17 21–11.

In women’s singles, there was a repeat of the 2025 European Championships final, as Line Kjærsfeldt and Kirsty Gilmour faced each other. Just like at the European Championships, it was Line Kjærsfeldt who emerged victorious today with a 14–21 21–14 21–17 win.

Several other Europeans will be in action later today in India, including Rasmus Gemke, Mia Blichfeldt, and the mixed doubles pair Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue.