For Indian badminton, 2025 has been a tough year. Successes have been fleeting, top players’ form has undulated and serious questions have been asked of not just the established but also the young and upcoming. But for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s doubles bronze at the World Championships in Paris in August, there has been precious little. Against this backdrop, Lakshya Sen’s triumph at the Australian Open on Sunday has come like a breath of fresh air. It was not the toughest of fields and the tournament — a BWF Super 500, third in the sport’s hierarchy after Super 1000 and 750 — is not pedigreed. But it was no low-hanging fruit either, for Lakshya had to spend long hours on court, including in the come-from-behind semi-final victory over World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen. The title was the 24-year-old’s first since the Syed Modi International Super 300 last December, and the first outside India since the Canada Open Super 500 in July 2023. Ever since the disappointment of losing the 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medal match from a dominant position, Lakshya has endured difficult times. Injuries and a spate of early exits — 11 in the first round this year alone — had sent him tumbling down. But a trophy in his last act of 2025 should give him the required fillip.