Sindhu questions China Open schedule with stark note after early exit

PV Sindhu criticized the China Open schedule after crashing out in the second round on Thursday, questioning the difference in recovery time between the players following her hard-fought defeat to home favorite and world No.4 Chen Yufei.

The Indian badminton star pointed out that she had just 16 hours between matches. In contrast, Chen enjoyed more than a day’s rest before the match, prompting Sindhu to question the fairness of the scheduling.

The two-time Olympic medalist took to X after the defeat, writing: “About 16 hours for me between bouts. 24+ hours for my dear friend Chen tomorrow after he had the day off before facing me today.”

She followed up with another sharp note, adding, “It’s great to see recovery being given the importance it deserves. It’s weird that plans have a way of taking care of recovery. I wish they took care of everyone the same.”

Sindhu squandered an early advantage and crashed out of the China Open with a grueling 21-16, 20-22, 18-21 defeat in a match that lasted nearly an hour and a half. The 30-year-old native of Hyderabad arrived in China after triumphing at the Japan Open, which ended a long title drought.

It was obvious from the opening match that the match would be balanced. Sindhu was trailing 7-13 before mounting a spirited comeback to level the scores at 16-16. She then rattled off five straight points to sink the opening game and grab an early advantage.

Chen responded emphatically in the second game. Sindhu looked set for victory after opening a 20-16 lead and winning four match points. However, the Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo won six consecutive points to take the match 22-20 and decide it.

The deciding match was equally even. The score was locked at 17-17 before Chen raised her level at the crucial moment, winning four of the last five points to complete the comeback and seal victory in front of the home crowd.

The schedule became a major point of discussion after the game. Sindhu had a turnaround less than a day after winning the opening round, leaving her with just 16 hours to recover and prepare for a physically demanding clash with Chen.

The Chinese star, meanwhile, had more than 24 hours between her matches after being given a full day off before facing Sindhu. Chen will also head into her quarter-final against Thailand’s seventh seed Ratchanok Intanon with another day off.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

23 Jul 2026 21:35 IST