Kunlavut Vitidsarn’s quest for a Singapore Open repeat ended in pain on Thursday. A lower back injury forced the world No. 2 to retire mid-match against India’s Lakshya Sen in the Round of 16.

The 2023 World Champion, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, experienced pain when he was bending forward and twisting during the match at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. 

After coming back to Thailand, he underwent an MRI scan. Doctors have now advised him to rest for one to two weeks.

His physiotherapist is focused on strengthening his core muscles to support recovery and to reduce the risk of future issues.

He is now targeting a return at the Japan Open 2026 Super 750 and the China Open 2026 Super 1000.

Kunlavut’s Disrupted Run This Season

Kunlavut Vitidsarn has been one of the most consistent performers in men's singles badminton. And, his run this season was pretty strong.

He won his first BWF Super 1000 title at the Malaysia Open in January. Vitidsarn had beaten world No. 1 Shi Yuqi in the final and entered the Singapore Open tournament.

He had won the Singapore Open last year by defeating Lu Guang Zu in the final. Thus, he was considered one of the leading contestants on the circuit.

Vitidsarn opened his title defense against Belgium's Julien Carraggi, ranked No. 49 in the world, dispatching him 21-8, 21-18 in a straightforward 38-minute win. 

But now, due to the injury, his dream run has been disrupted. The campaign that had started so clean and with full energy was over almost before it began.

The back injury is an unwanted setback, but with one to two weeks of rest and proper rehabilitation underway, he will be set for what comes next. 

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Koushik Biswas