18-Year-Old Rounak Chauhan Stuns World No. 6 Chou Tien-Chen At US Open 2026

Published 26 June 2026 · sports

18-Year-Old Rounak Chauhan Stuns World No. 6 Chou Tien-Chen At US Open 2026 Published By, Last Updated: June 26, 2026, 09:45 IST Rounak Chauhan stunned

18-Year-Old Rounak Chauhan Stuns World No. 6 Chou Tien-Chen At US Open 2026 Published By, Last Updated: June 26, 2026, 09:45 IST Rounak Chauhan stunned World No. 6 Chou Tien-chen in straight games at the US Open, securing the biggest win of his career and reaching his maiden Super 300 quarterfinal. Indian badminton sensation Rounak Chauhan (X) Indian badminton has another exciting young name to watch. Eighteen-year-old Rounak Chauhan produced the biggest victory of his young career by upsetting World No. 6 and top seed Chou Tien-chen 21-17, 26-24 in the Round of 16 at the BWF US Open Super 300. The stunning win, completed in just 49 minutes, sent the Indian into his maiden Super 300 quarterfinal and marked his first-ever victory over a top-10 opponent.

YONEX US Open 2026MS – R1621 26 🇮🇳Rounak CHOUHAN🥇17 24 CHOU Tien Chen 🕚 in 49 minutes — BWFScore (@BWFScore) June 25, 2026 This is an extraordinary result by 18 yr old Rounak Chouhan upsetting WR6 CTC top seeded here in straight games. 🤯His career 1st top 10 win! 🔥Wonderful displaying of all the techniques and skills at his disposal 👌#USOpen2026 pic.twitter.com/koEbOggsXf— Amit Kumar De (@AmitK98infinite) June 25, 2026 The result is among the biggest shocks of the tournament, with Chauhan overturning sizeable deficits in both games. The teenager trailed 15-17 in the opening game before reeling off six of the final eight points, and then mounted an even more remarkable comeback from 11-17 down in the second to edge the former World Championships silver medallist in a nerve-wracking finish.

Rather than being overawed by Chou’s reputation and attacking prowess, the Indian teenager dictated rallies with confidence, displaying an impressive mix of court coverage, precision and shot-making to complete a memorable straight-games victory. Who is Rounak Chauhan? While Indian fans are only beginning to know his name, Chauhan has quietly built a reputation as one of the country’s brightest junior prospects. The 18-year-old, currently ranked World No. 80, trains at the BAI Centre of Excellence and has steadily climbed the senior circuit after impressing at the junior level. He was among India’s leading entrants at the BWF World Junior Championships, earning a reputation for his speed, tactical awareness and all-round game. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Siddarth Sriram After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas.