Japan Open title gives P V Sindhu timely boost before World Championships
P V Sindhu ended her title drought by winning the Japan Open, defeating reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi on her home court. The victory marks a significant comeback for the double Olympic medallist ahead of next month's World Championships in Delhi
Hyderabad: The champion shuttler is back to winning ways. Yes, the long wait for a significant title triumph has finally ended for double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu, who won the Japan Open in Tokyo on Sunday morning.
Winning is definitely not a new experience for Sindhu. But the fact that she, after struggling for close to two years, rediscovered her best form in one of the most important finals of her career is more significant than the title itself. More so, given the number of lows she has endured in the recent past.
Just when the list of those eager to write her off was growing rapidly, emboldened by her poor run on the international circuit, the 31-year-old Sindhu responded in style and in emphatic fashion.
It was not just one of those wins that can be brushed aside, for the simple reason that Sindhu dethroned reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi in her own den.
Sindhu has been conscious of the desperation that has crept into the minds of not just her critics but, to some extent, her own as well. There is no doubt she badly needed a win of this kind to rekindle not just memories of her skill set but also to remind everyone that she is not a spent force yet.
And Sindhu was not far off when she commented after winning the Japan Open that playing in finals is one thing and winning them is altogether different.
It is a crucial win and, by all means, a huge morale booster, especially ahead of next month’s World Championships in Delhi and, more importantly, as she positions herself as a strong medal contender. By any stretch of the imagination, she remains India’s best medal hope in the women’s section even for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Yes, two years is quite a long time. But a journey that seemed to have stumbled because of inconsistency can now well and truly be back on a smooth road after the Japan Open triumph.
What cannot be brushed aside is the plain fact of the relentless effort she has put in over the last two years despite the setbacks she has endured. Many top athletes in her position would have been tempted, at least remotely, to give up. But the daughter of international volleyball players, Arjuna Awardee P V Ramana and P Vijaya, has proved once again that she is a cut above the rest.
Determined to prove wrong those who were prematurely trying to write an epitaph for what has already been an illustrious career.
“I am working hard and focusing hard on myself. I kept believing that I could do it, even though a lot of people were wondering what was happening,” Sindhu said after the victory.
Backed by her Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, who joined her team in 2025, and by her untiring and unwavering family, with her husband playing a key role in making her believe that she still belonged to the elite group of shuttlers on the women’s circuit, Sindhu is clearly back with a bang.
No doubt, scaling such peaks of excellence is easier than staying there for long. But having experienced the rough and tumble of the last two years, Sindhu says she is looking only one way – ahead – with confidence.
“I need to keep up the same tempo, maintain the same calmness, stay confident, and keep going. That’s the aim. It’s really good to win at this stage, and I want to maintain that,” said Sindhu, fully aware of the need to keep improving and remain among the world’s best.
