PV Sindhu has opened up about how a conversation with Virat Kohli helped her overcome one of the toughest phases of her career after a serious injury in 2025, eventually inspiring a remarkable run that culminated in a historic Japan Open title.The two-time Olympic medalist suffered a torn ligament during training in September 2025, forcing her off-season and focusing solely on rehabilitation. Under the supervision of renowned sports orthopedist Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, Sindhu underwent three months of complete rest followed by an extensive rehabilitation program.During this challenging period, Sindhu, accompanied by her husband Venkata Datta Sai, reached out to Kohli for guidance. The former India captain responded almost immediately, and the trio met the next day.Sharing the emotional moment on X while replaying her husband’s interview with The Indian Express, Sindhu revealed how the meeting became a turning point in her recovery.“One thing that I will always be grateful to, however, is Virat bhai. I reached him at one of the lowest points of my career. The injuries were accumulating, the results were not coming, and I just needed someone who understood. He answered in a few minutes, and we met the next day. What we talked about will always stay between us. say a lot, but every word stayed with Datta and me. Some conversations change the way you see things. This was one of them,” Sindhu wrote on X.
Datta Sai reveals Kohli’s influence
In his interview with The Indian Express, Sindhu’s husband Venkata Datta Sai explained how Kohli’s words continued to inspire him throughout the recovery process. “We had to rebuild his joy, and Virat’s words kept ringing in my head. At the Exos Sports Performance facility in Atlanta, he trained with three excellent trainers, Wayne, Tim and Rayan,” Datta recalled.
Historic Japan Open win completes Comeback
The comeback reached its perfect conclusion on July 19, 2026, when Sindhu made history by winning the Japan Open women’s singles title, becoming the first Indian shuttler in any discipline to lift the prestigious crown in the tournament’s 43-year history. Ranked World No. 12 entering the tournament, the 31-year-old produced a clinical performance in the final at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, defeating home favorite and World No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in straight games.