Garret was formerly World Junior No.1
The 18-year-old American produced one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 BWF World Championships, defeating India’s Lakshya Sen 19-21, 21-19, 21-17 in the men’s singles second round in New Delhi. Ranked No. 92 in the world, Tan came from behind against the 14th-seeded Sen and held his nerve in front of a packed home crowd.
#News| Heartbreak for India at 💔 🏸
— The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) August 19, 2026
Lakshya Sen loses to USA’s Garrett Tan in the Round of 32 at the BWF World Championships.
The Indian shuttler went down in a three-game battle, losing 21-19, 19-21, 21-17.
With this loss, Lakshya Sen's campaign at the BWF World… pic.twitter.com/PD5uuAUppA
So, who exactly is Garret Tan?
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Who is Garret Tan?
Born on January 11, 2008, Tan is just 18 years old and represents the United States. He is already ranked No. 92 in the BWF men’s singles world rankings and No. 153 in the World Tour rankings.
But his current ranking doesn’t tell the whole story.
Tan has been one of the standout young players in American badminton for several years. In fact, he was the BWF World Junior men’s singles No. 1 in 2025, making his rapid emergence on the senior circuit far less surprising.
He was also selected to represent the USA at the 2025 BWF World Junior Championships in Guwahati, where he entered the boys’ singles event as the eighth seed. He eventually reached the fourth round before losing to India’s Gnana Dattu TT.
A junior star making the jump
Tan’s junior credentials are impressive, but 2026 has been about proving that he can compete against established senior players.
Earlier this year, he helped the United States reach the final of the Pan Am Men’s Cup. Tan won his singles matches against Ramiro Alonso Espinoza and Donnians Oliveira before facing Canada’s Brian Yang in the final.
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Although Yang eventually won 17-21, 21-9, 21-16, Tan showed that he could compete with one of the strongest players in the Pan American region.
He has also pushed Yang close before. At the 2025 Canadian International Challenge, Tan reached the quarterfinals and took Yang to three games, eventually losing 21-11, 21-24, 22-24 in a 63-minute battle.
Tan has also collected victories across the international circuit, including a strong run at the 2026 Taipei Open, where he reached the qualification quarterfinals. He later reached the quarterfinals of the main event at the Saipan International, entering that tournament as the fifth seed.
And now, Lakshya Sen
Everything changed in New Delhi.
Tan walked onto court against Lakshya Sen, a former World Championships bronze medallist and one of India’s biggest badminton stars, with the home crowd firmly behind his opponent.
Instead of being overwhelmed, the teenager produced the performance of his young career.
Sen took the opening game 21-19, but Tan immediately responded. He won the second game 21-19 and then controlled the deciding game 21-17 to complete a stunning comeback.
The victory is particularly remarkable because Tan is ranked 92nd in the world, while Sen entered the tournament as the 14th seed.
Is Garret Tan the next big American badminton star?
It may still be too early to make that claim, but the signs are certainly there.
Tan is only 18, has already been ranked No. 1 in the world at junior level, has represented the USA at multiple major junior championships, and is now defeating established top players on badminton’s biggest stages.
His World Championship run is not over yet. Following his victory over Sen, Tan moves into the next round, where he faces another enormous challenge in the form of former World Champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
And suddenly, the question is no longer “Who is Garret Tan?”
It is: How far can he go?
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