Fearless and Fast: Unnati Hooda leads India’s next generation badminton stars

Unnati Hooda’s 2025 season will be remembered as the year she firmly announced herself as one of India’s brightest emerging women’s singles players. Long seen as a prodigy with exceptional shot-making instincts, the teenager from Rohtak turned potential into consistent performance, collecting several career firsts and proving she can compete with the best in the world.

The defining moment of her season came at the China Open 2025, one of the four Super 1000 events on the BWF Tour. Unnati produced the biggest Indian badminton upsets of the year when she defeated two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu in a thrilling three-game contest. That victory marked her first win over a top Indian senior icon on a global stage and instantly elevated her profile. Her campaign ended in the quarter-finals, where she was defeated by former World No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi, but the run itself was a breakthrough achievement and a major confidence booster.

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Earlier in the year, Unnati delivered strong performances at the Taipei Open, reaching the semi-finals, and put together another impressive run at the Hylo Open, where she again showed her ability to challenge higher-ranked players deep into a tournament. She also produced one of her best home-soil performances at the recently-concluded Syed Modi India International, reaching the semis with composed and confident badminton. She also registered a quarter-final finish at the German Open, adding yet another solid result to her growing list of international achievements.

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Alongside her senior success, Unnati continued to shine at the junior level. She reached the quarters in the women’s singles of the BWF World Junior Championships at home and was part of the Indian squad that won a historic bronze medal in the team competition, further underlining the depth of her development.

Unnati’s rise this season has also placed her alongside Tanvi Sharma as part of India’s next exciting wave of women’s singles talent. Both players have come through the junior system with impressive results and now stand out as genuine successors to Sindhu in the long-term structure of Indian badminton. Their emergence signals an encouraging shift in women’s singles, with fast, fearless and technically sharp young athletes ready to take on the Asian giants.

Beyond results, 2025 showcased Unnati’s maturity. She handled a demanding travel calendar, adapted quickly to different playing conditions and maintained a calm and focused presence throughout the season. Her dedication to training has begun to show in her speed, decision-making and shot selection, all of which took noticeable steps forward this year.

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Supported by the Reliance Foundation system, Unnati has been one of the standout athletes across the programme’s international performers. Her deep runs in major tournaments and her win over Sindhu were among the season’s most celebrated moments, reinforcing the strength of India’s growing developmental pipeline.

Looking ahead, 2026 presents Unnati with an even bigger stage. With the Asian Games scheduled to be held in Nagoya City, Japan and the World Championships on home soil, Unnati enters a defining phase of her young career. The experience and confidence gained this season will be crucial as she aims to sharpen her game and take on the continental and global elite. If 2025 was the year she arrived, 2026 offers the opportunity for Unnati Hooda to rise even higher and establish herself as a major contender in world badminton.