Vintage PV Sindhu beats world champion to claim Japan Open crown, ends title drought

PV Sindhu made history on Sunday, July 19, becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Japan Open title. The 31-year-old blew fans away with the attacking brand of badminton that defined her dominant years, surpassing reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi. Sindhu needed just 50 minutes to seal a commanding 21-17, 21-17 victory in the women’s singles final. Sindhu vs Yamaguchi Highlights

It had been seven years since Sindhu last won a major title on the BWF World Tour. She won Commonwealth Games gold in 2022, but a stress fracture in her left ankle robbed her of valuable game time and disrupted her rhythm. In recent years, Sindhu has often looked like a shadow of the player who once dominated the world’s biggest stages. But over the course of this week in Japan, the two-time Olympic medalist proved she’s far from done. Throughout 2026, Sindhu, who made her ambitions clear at the Los Angeles Olympics, has been in good touch and has consistently progressed beyond the first rounds of major tournaments. In Japan, she finally found the breakthrough she and the entire nation had been waiting for.

At 20-17, Sindhu thought she had sealed the title when the linesman called Yamaguchi’s shot wide. However, the Japanese space shuttle immediately challenged this decision. For someone who has waited so long for a title of this format, the 30 second review was painful. When the verdict came in her favour, Sindhu bowed and touched the court before spreading her arms in celebration. She then rushed to her coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama and shared a warm hug.

It was Sindhu’s first World Tour title since winning the Syed Modi International in December 2024. More importantly, it was her first Super 750 title or more since she lifted the World Championship crown in Basel in August 2019.

SINDHU ALL SMILING

PV Sindhu with her coach Irwansyah on stage at Japan Open (Badminton Photo)

Sindhu was all smiles as she received her medal from dignitaries before posing for a selfie with Yamaguchi, an opponent she has now faced 30 times on the international circuit.

“The golden generation of women’s singles is not over yet,” commented commentator Gillian Clarke as the two veterans of the sport stood together on stage, smiling and exchanging a few words.

Sindhu then invited her coach Irwansyah, the legendary Indonesian tactician, on stage to celebrate the triumph. Since arriving in her camp in 2025, the Indian star has rediscovered the aggression and attacking intent that once made her one of the most feared players on tour. More importantly, with a single-minded focus on her fitness, Sindhu has looked sharper than in recent years, consistently reaching the quarter-finals and semi-finals of major events.

She opened the season with a semi-final run at the Malaysia Open Super 1000. Although she suffered an opening-round exit at the All England, Sindhu responded strongly by reaching the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Masters Super 500 in January. She arrived at the Japan Open after a month-long break following a semi-final run at the Australian Open in June, fresh and ready to seize the opportunity that had eluded her for so long.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

19 Jul 2026 11:24 IST