Japan Open: ‘Not an Underdog Any More’
It was a year ago that Alex Lanier took the step from being a challenger at the big events to a champion. With his triumph at last year's Japan Open, Lanier had made a statement not just for himself, but for French…
· DEV SUKUMAR
It was a year ago that Alex Lanier took the step from being a challenger at the big events to a champion. With his triumph at last year's Japan Open, Lanier had made a statement not just for himself, but for French men’s singles.
The last couple of years has been a defining period for French badminton, and Lanier has been at the forefront of the wave. With the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships coming up soon, there couldn’t have been a better time for Lanier and his peers to emerge.
Back to defend his title at the DAIHATSU Japan Open 2025, Lanier sounds at ease and confident. The world No.8 had a good start to his campaign, beating Leong Jun Hao 21-12 21-14. Lanier revealed that he had come early (with Anders Antonsen) to train at NTT Club.