USA, 27 June, 2025 – Despite being one of the top contenders for the women’s singles title, Vietnam’s No.1 shuttler Nguyen Thuy Linh suffered a disappointing first-round loss at the 2025 U.S. Open Badminton Tournament.
The U.S. Open, part of the BWF World Tour Super 300 series, kicked off its opening round on June 26. Seeded second in the women’s singles draw and ranked 23rd in the world, Nguyen Thuy Linh was expected to breeze past her opponent Sharma Tanvi from India, who is only 16 years old and 43 places below her on the BWF rankings. However, the Vietnamese star shockingly lost in straight sets, 0-2, in what has been labeled as one of her most disappointing defeats in recent memory.
Just a month ago, Thuy Linh impressed with a quarterfinal finish at the higher-tier Malaysia Masters (Super 500), defeating several top-ranked players along the way. Her early exit in the U.S., therefore, comes as a significant setback.
According to coaches and analysts, Tanvi Sharma is a rising star in Indian badminton and has already earned a spot in the national team. In the early part of the first game, Thuy Linh appeared to control the match, using her superior experience and tactical awareness. However, her performance deteriorated towards the end of the first set, and she completely lost her rhythm in the second.
It was clear that Nguyen Thuy Linh was not in her best physical or mental condition. Having flown halfway across the globe from Vietnam to the United States just days before the tournament, she had little time to acclimate to the time zone. Additionally, the absence of her personal coach and Indonesian expert Hariawan Hong during this tour left her without crucial technical and emotional support.
With this early exit, Thuy Linh now has more time to recover and prepare for the upcoming Canada Open, scheduled from July 1 to July 6. The Canadian event is also part of the World Tour Super 300 circuit. In the latest draw, Nguyen Thuy Linh has once again been seeded second in the women’s singles event.
Despite the setback in the U.S., Thuy Linh remains a key figure in Vietnam’s badminton ambitions, and her fans will be hoping she can bounce back with a strong performance in Canada. The next tournament will serve as both a chance for redemption and an opportunity to regain form ahead of the more prestigious events later in the year.
Kim Chi
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