PV Sindhu booked her place in the women’s singles final of the 2026 Japan Open on Saturday, becoming the first Indian shuttler to reach the summit clash of the prestigious tournament. The two-time Olympic medalist progressed after reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei withdrew midway through the second game with a hamstring injury. Sindhu had already taken the opening game 21-19 and was leading 15-10 in the second when the Chinese star was forced to retire.The win marked a milestone for the Indian ace, ending a five-match losing streak against Chen and securing her first win over the Chinese shuttler since the 2019 BWF World Championships.
Impressive race to the finish
Sindhu enjoyed an impressive run in Tokyo. She began her campaign with a series of confident performances, including a remarkable win over No. 5 Han Yue before receiving a quarter-final loss from former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.The final also marks Sindhu’s return to a BWF Tour title match after more than two years. His previous final appearance came at the Syed Modi International in 2024, which he won, while his most recent BWF World Tour title was the Singapore Open Super 500 in 2022.
Sindhu credits focus for the comeback win
Reflecting on her achievement, Sindhu expressed delight at reaching the final after a challenging week of competition.“I am very happy to have gone to the final,” Sindhu said after the match.She emphasized the importance of staying focused throughout the tournament, especially against elite opponents.“For me every match has mattered a lot since the first match, especially today’s match. It was important from the beginning to be focused because when you play with top-ranked players it is important that every point matters, so winning that first game really mattered a lot,” he said.Sindhu will now face home favorite and former world champion Akane Yamaguchi in Sunday’s final, with the Indian aiming to capture her first Japan Open title and continue her resurgence on the BWF World Tour.