PV Sindhu moved to within one win of ending India’s long wait for a Japan Open title after reaching the women’s singles final in Tokyo on Saturday. The two-time Olympic medallist became the first Indian shuttler to reach the Japan Open final and now has the opportunity to achieve what no Indian has managed before by lifting one of badminton’s most prestigious titles.
For the first time in several years, Sindhu arrives at a major BWF final carrying momentum rather than memories. The 31-year-old booked her place in Sunday’s title clash after reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei retired with a hamstring injury while trailing 21-19, 10-15.
Before the retirement from her opponent, Sindhu had already won the opening game and was dictating long rallies against one of the most consistent players on the circuit.
More than just a fortunate finish
The scoreline will show a retirement. However, Sindhu’s route to the final included a straight-games victory over World No. 5 Han Yue before she received a quarter-final walkover from former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.
Against Chen, she showed patience, something that had often been missing over the past two seasons patience.
Instead of relying purely on power, Sindhu mixed her attack with controlled rallies, forcing Chen into longer exchanges before the Chinese star eventually pulled up with an injury.
The victory also ended a five-match losing streak against Chen and marked Sindhu’s first win over her since the 2019 BWF World Championships.
A comeback measured over months, not one match
The Japan Open final is also Sindhu’s first appearance in a BWF World Tour final since winning the Singapore Open Super 500 in 2022. While she lifted the Syed Modi International title in 2024, that event sits outside the World Tour’s highest tier.
Over the past two years, Sindhu has battled injuries, changed coaching environments and slipped out of conversations surrounding the sport’s dominant contenders. Tokyo suggests she belongs back in them.
Every point mattered: Sindhu
The Indian admitted that staying mentally switched on throughout the week had been her biggest challenge.
“I’m very happy that I’ve gone to the final,” Sindhu said after the match.
She added that beating top-ranked opponents demanded concentration from the opening rally.
“For me every match mattered a lot from the first match, especially today’s match. It was important from the beginning to be focused because when you play with the top-ranked players it’s important that every point matters, so winning that first game really mattered a lot.”
One more test awaits
Standing between Sindhu and the title is home favourite and former world champion Akane Yamaguchi. Regardless of Sunday’s result, reaching the final has already altered the narrative around India’s biggest badminton star.
For much of the past two seasons, the question surrounding Sindhu was whether she could return to the elite. After one of her strongest weeks in recent years, that question is beginning to disappear.
