Kidambi Srikanth is the 33-year-old Indian badminton star who reminded the sport of his class on 12 November 2026, when he beat world No. 8 Kodai Naraoka 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 to reach the quarter-finals of the Japan Masters in Kumamoto. It was his first win in five meetings against the Japanese star, and it arrived nine years after the dream season that carried him to the top of the world rankings.
Srikanth is a former world No. 1, a World Championships silver medallist and the captain who led India to its first ever Thomas Cup title in 2022. His win over Naraoka, the defending champion and a 2026 World Championships silver medallist, was his best result of a 2026 season in which he had already reached the US Open final. This biography covers his age, height, career, coach, ranking, personal life and net worth in 2026.
| Full Name | Srikanth Nammalwar Kidambi |
| Date of Birth | 7 February 1993 |
| Age | 33 years old (as of November 2026) |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) |
| Birthplace | Ravulapalem, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Occupation | Badminton player (men’s singles) |
| Known For | World No. 1 (2018); four Superseries titles in 2017; World Championships silver 2021; Thomas Cup 2022 |
| Coach | Pullela Gopichand |
| Current Ranking | World No. 31 (27 October 2026) |
| Spouse | Unmarried |
| Net Worth 2026 | Estimated $1–5 million (media estimates) — see Net Worth section below |
Early Life
Kidambi Srikanth was born on 7 February 1993 in Ravulapalem, a village in Andhra Pradesh, into a Telugu family. His father, KVS Krishna, is a landlord, and his mother, Radha, is a homemaker. His elder brother, K. Nandagopal, is also a badminton player and a former junior national champion, and the two brothers played together as children before Srikanth moved to Hyderabad in 2008 to train at the Gopichand Badminton Academy.
The move to Hyderabad, under former All England champion Pullela Gopichand, shaped everything that followed. Srikanth won medals at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man, a bronze in boys’ doubles and a silver in mixed doubles, and claimed his first senior international title at the Maldives International in 2012, beating then junior world champion Zulfadli Zulkiffli of Malaysia.
Career
Srikanth’s breakthrough came in 2013, when he won the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold by beating home favourite Boonsak Ponsana in straight games, and then won his first senior national title by beating reigning champion Parupalli Kashyap in Delhi. The following year he announced himself on the world stage: in the final of the 2014 China Open, a Superseries Premier event, he beat five-time world champion and two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan 21-19, 21-17, becoming the first Indian to win a Superseries Premier men’s title.
He kept climbing in 2015, winning the Swiss Open and the India Open, both times beating a young Viktor Axelsen in the final, and received the Arjuna Award that year. In 2016 he won the Syed Modi International and two gold medals at the South Asian Games, then reached the quarter-finals of the Rio Olympics, beating world No. 5 Jan O. Jorgensen before losing a three-game classic to Lin Dan.
Then came 2017, the season that defines his career. After losing the Singapore Open final to his training partner B. Sai Praneeth, Srikanth won four Superseries titles in a row: Indonesia, beating Kazumasa Sakai; Australia, beating Olympic champion Chen Long 22-20, 21-16; Denmark, beating Lee Hyun-il 21-10, 21-5; and France, beating Kenta Nishimoto. He became only the fourth player ever to win four Superseries titles in a single year, equalling a record held by Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan and Chen Long, and rose to world No. 2. In April 2018 he went one better, becoming the first Indian man since Prakash Padukone to reach world No. 1, and at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast he won mixed team gold and singles silver, losing the final to Lee Chong Wei. He received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2018.
His greatest individual result came in December 2021, when he became the first Indian man to reach the final of the BWF World Championships, taking silver after losing to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew 15-21, 20-22 in Huelva. Six months later he captained India at the Thomas Cup in Bangkok, winning his singles match against Jonatan Christie as India beat Indonesia 3-0 in the final to lift the trophy for the first time in the tournament’s 73-year history. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham he added a mixed team silver and a singles bronze.
The years after the Thomas Cup triumph were leaner. Srikanth has not won a BWF title since the 2017 French Open, and his ranking drifted into the 30s, but he kept reaching finals: the Malaysia Masters and the Syed Modi International in 2025, and the US Open in 2026, where he lost to Chinese Taipei’s Su Li-yang. At the Denmark Open in October 2026 he pushed newly crowned world champion Alex Lanier hard before losing in three games, and India took bronze at the 2026 Thomas Cup in Horsens. His fellow Indian star Lakshya Sen, now ranked inside the world’s top 15, is part of the generation Srikanth paved the way for, while PV Sindhu remains the other great name of the Gopichand academy era.
The 2026 Japan Masters Win
Srikanth arrived in Kumamoto ranked world No. 31 and in need of a big week. He survived a gruelling first round against Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke, winning 18-21, 21-16, 24-22, and then faced Naraoka, the fifth seed, the defending champion and a player he had never beaten in four previous meetings.
The match, played on 12 November 2026 at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, lasted exactly an hour. Srikanth took the opening game 21-15, reeling off seven consecutive points after trailing 12-14, before Naraoka hit back to take the second 21-11. In the decider Srikanth fell behind early, drew level at 7-7 and gradually took charge, holding his nerve as Naraoka saved two match points before he closed it out 21-18. It set up a quarter-final against Japan’s Koki Watanabe, a player he leads 2-0 head-to-head.
Personal Life
Srikanth is unmarried and has no publicly known partner. According to profiles updated in November 2026, he is not married, and he has never spoken publicly about a girlfriend or a relationship, keeping his private life firmly out of the spotlight while his on-court results do the talking.
He remains based in Hyderabad, training at the Gopichand Badminton Academy under Pullela Gopichand, who was in his corner during the win over Naraoka. His parents still live in Andhra Pradesh, and his elder brother Nandagopal has stayed close to the sport. Away from badminton, Srikanth is known as a quiet, low-key figure, a contrast to the flamboyant attacking game that made him famous. His contemporary Anmol Kharb is another product of the same Indian badminton system that Srikanth helped put on the map.
Kidambi Srikanth Net Worth 2026
Kidambi Srikanth’s net worth has not been officially disclosed, and there is no verified public figure for his personal wealth. Media estimates put it in the range of $1 million to $5 million, according to PlayersBio, but those figures are unofficial estimates and should be treated with caution, as the site Possible11 also notes.
His income comes from tournament prize money across more than a decade at the top of the sport, appearance fees, and endorsements that followed his rise to world No. 1, his Padma Shri and his Thomas Cup triumph. A deep run at a Super 500 event like the Japan Masters adds prize money and ranking points, and at 33 he remains one of Indian badminton’s most recognisable names.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Kidambi Srikanth?
Kidambi Srikanth is 33 years old. He was born on 7 February 1993 in Ravulapalem, Andhra Pradesh, India.
How tall is Kidambi Srikanth?
Kidambi Srikanth is 5 feet 10 inches tall (1.78 m), according to his BWF and Wikipedia profiles.
What is Kidambi Srikanth’s current ranking?
As of 27 October 2026, Kidambi Srikanth is ranked world No. 31 in men’s singles. His career-high ranking is world No. 1, which he reached on 12 April 2018, becoming the first Indian man since Prakash Padukone to top the rankings.
Who is Kidambi Srikanth’s coach?
His coach is Pullela Gopichand, the former All England champion who runs the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, where Srikanth has trained since 2008. Gopichand was in his corner during the win over Kodai Naraoka at the 2026 Japan Masters.
Is Kidambi Srikanth married? Who is his wife?
No, Kidambi Srikanth is not married. Profiles updated in November 2026 list him as unmarried, and no credible source has reported a wife or a girlfriend. He keeps his personal life private.
What is Kidambi Srikanth’s net worth in 2026?
His net worth has not been officially disclosed. Media estimates put it between $1 million and $5 million, but no verified figure exists, so the range should be treated as an unofficial estimate.
