Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto (born 28 February 2000) is an Indonesian badminton player affiliated with Djarum club. He won the mixed doubles and men's team gold medals in 2023 SEA Games.
Early life
His father Tri Kusharjanto, is an Olympic silver medalist in badminton in 2000, and his mother Sri Untari, was an Asian Champion in 1992. He started practicing badminton with his father at the age of 5, and joined the Djarum club in 2013. He was the champion at the 2016 Asian U-17 Junior Championships in the boys' doubles event partnered with Haffiz Nur Adila, and in 2017, he clinched the mixed doubles title at the Asian Junior Championships with Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti. He was also a two-times mixed doubles World Junior Championship silver medalists in 2017 and 2018 with Ramadhanti.
Senior Career
2022
In March, Kusharjanto and his partner Lisa Ayu Kusumawati reached their first BWF World Tour final in the Orléans Masters, but lost to Singaporean pair Terry Hee and Tan Wei Han. This year, they debuted at the BWF World Championships. In October, they reached another final in the Vietnam Open but lost to fellow Indonesians Dejan Ferdinansyah and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja. They also reached the semi-finals of the French Open, but lost to Dutch pair Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek. In November, they claimed their first ever BWF World Tour title at the Hylo Open by defeating Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping in the final in straight games. Their progress, particularly their victory at the Hylo Open, led them to break through the world top 20 in mixed doubles.
2023
Kusharjanto and Kusumawati opened the 2023 season at the Malaysia Open, but lost to Malaysian pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei at the second round. In the next tournament, they lost again in the second round of the India Open from top seed Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong of China. They competed at the home tournament, Indonesia Masters, but lost to Japanese pair Kyohei Yamashita and Naru Shinoya at the first round They suffered a fourth consecutive early exit at the Thailand Masters, this time falling to Korean pair Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun at the second round.
In February, Kusharjanto was called up to the Indonesian team for the Asia Mixed Team Championships, but the teams lost in the quarter-finals from team Korea.
In March, Kusharjanto and Kusumawati competed in the European tour at the All England Open but lost in the semi-finals from 1st seed Chinese pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong in rubber games. In the next tour, they lost in the second round of Swiss Open from Japanese pair Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito in three games. In the next tour, they competed in the Spain Masters, but had to lose in the quarter-finals from fellow Indonesian pair Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti.
In April, Kusharjanto and Kusumawati competed at the Orléans Masters in France, but had to lose in the semi-finals from 7th seed Malaysian pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei. In late April, they competed at the Asian Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, but had to retire in the first round from Chinese Taipei pair Chang Ko-chi and Lee Chih-chen.
In May, Kusharjanto made his debut at the SEA Games in Cambodia, and won the gold medals in the mixed doubles and team events. He and his father are the first parent-child pair who won SEA Games badminton gold medal. In late May, Kusharjanto and Kusumawati competed in the second Asian Tour at the Malaysia Masters. Unfortunately, they lost in the second round from Thai pair Supak Jomkoh and Supissara Paewsampran in straight games.
In June, Kusharjanto and Kusumawati competed at the Singapore Open, but lost in the first round from 7th seed Malaysian pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai. In the next tour, they competed at the home tournament, Indonesia Open, but lost in the second round from Danish pair Mathias Thyrri and Amalie Magelund. In the next tour, they also lost in the second round at the Taipei Open from 331st ranked host pair Tseng Min-hao and Hsieh Pei-shan.
In late July, Kusharjanto and Kusumawati competed at the 2023 Japan Open, but lost in the first round against Hong Kong pair Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet.
In August, Kusharjanto and Kusumawati competed at the Australian Open, but had to lose in the first round from Hong Kong pair Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet for second consecutive match. At the World Championships, he and his partner lost in the third round from 2nd seed Japanese pair Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino in straight games. Kusharjanto made his debut at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, but unable to win any medals both in the mixed doubles and team events.