Malaysia’s top women’s single player K.Letshanaa may have made a early exit from the Japan Open, but the 22-year-old is staying positive and looking at the bigger picture as she continues to rise on the international badminton stage.
World No.27 Letshanaa lost in a game with South Korea’s world No.14 Kim Ga Eun with 21-16, 21-12 score in the first round of the Super 750 tournament. It was the first time she faced the South Korea player.
After the match, Letshanaa spoke in a interview and she admitted that she found it challenging to adjust to her opponent’s playing style.
“It was my first meeting against her and it was quite challenging because we didn’t really know each other’s playing style. I don’t think i adapted well enough today,” she said.
She also said she made too many mistakes during the match and struggled to find a way back after falling behind. According to Letshanaa, Kim Ga Eun’s playing style was different from many players she had a match before. Playing on the court for the first time also added to the challenge.
“I believe I’ll handle it much better the next time,” she said.
Letshanaa also shared that she was unable to play her usual game, which affected her confidence as the match went on. Even though, she lost the game, Letshanaa is not letting it define her season.
The first of 2026 has been a huge breakthrough for Letshanaa. She went from being world No.43 to world No.27. Her season includes reaching semi-finals at Indonesia open, and quarter-finals for Thailand Masters and Malaysia Masters.
She also made her Super 1000 debut at Indonesia Open, where she defeated Denmark’s world No.21 Line Kjærsfeldt before losing to Akane Yamaguchi in the second round.
Rather than focusing on the loss, Letshanaa is choosing to learn from experience. She said her training in Kuala Lumpur is going on well. Although, the results was not what she wanted, playing in bigger tournaments was an important step in her development. Letshanaa will now be preparing for China Open next week.
Sources: NST
