Vintage PV Sindhu eyes French Open glory but the inevitable An Se Young stands in her way

If there was one thing that stood out about PV Sindhu during her tenure at the French Open, it was her resilience, her ability to bounce back and dig herself out of tough spots. Now he is on the cusp of another title. But standing in her way is the inevitable world number one An Se Young.

Sindhu is on the verge of another major milestonewith the 31-year-old Indian shuttler just one win away from claiming a seventh BWF World Tour title and a second Super 750 crown in the same season.

Sindhu resumed her title form at the Japan Open in July when she overcame three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi in the final to clinch her sixth World Tour trophy. The triumph also marked her first BWF title since December 2024 and a breakthrough victory at the Super 750 level.

Now, a French Open crown would take her resurgence to another level, giving the former world champion multiple titles in a calendar year for the first time since 2022.

There were signs of vintage Sindhu throughout the tournament as she opened her campaign with a hard-fought win over Thailand’s Supanida Katethong before shifting gears to dispatch Japan’s Riko Gunji and Chinese Taipei’s Chia Pin-chian in straight games.

In the semifinals, it was another test for the Indian ace as she won the contest in three games. Sindhu showed tremendous courage against Akechi and held her nerve in a tight decider after the Japanese shooter threatened to turn the match around.

The Indian prevailed in a tight opener before shifting gears to take a 21-10 lead to win 11 of the last 12 points. Akechi responded in the second, using smart shooting and decisive defense to put Sindhu on the back foot. The Indian fought back to level the scores at 20-20, but the Japanese won two more key points to force a decider.

Sindhu started the third game on a positive note only for Akechi to break back to level at 15-15. With the contest well poised, a grueling 38-run rally ended with a Japanese error at the net to give Sindhu a vital 18-16 lead. She then stepped up the pressure, earning four match points after Akechi hit an empty net and sealed the win with a cross-court smash.

AN SE YOUNG TEST

Standing in Sindhu’s way is probably the toughest challenge in women’s badminton at the moment. South Korean superstar An Se Young was virtually unstoppable in 2026, boasting an astonishing 65-1 win-loss record and riding a 49-game winning streak into Sunday’s final.

With nine titles this season, the world number one will aim for a landmark 10th crown at the French Open.

To see the level of dominance Young has created at the French Open, just look at her match scores to date. She has not dropped a single game so far and won her first round match against Amalie Schulz 21-6, 21-4.

This was followed by a 21-11, 21-14 win over Tanvi Sharma, a 21-13, 21-16 win over Han Yue and then a 21-12, 21-19 win over Nozomi Okuhara.

SINDHU VS AN SE YOUNG: HEAD TO HEAD

There may be no way to sugarcoat it, but Sindhu will have her work cut out for her against Young. Sindhu faces a tough task on Sunday, An Se Young has won all 10 of her previous encounters. The Indian managed to take just one game away from the South Korean in all these meetings.

Sindhu came closest to upsetting An Se Young in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Badminton Asia Championships. She won the opening game but was unable to maintain the momentum and eventually fell 18-21, 21-5, 21-9.

Their only previous meeting in the finals came at the 2021 BWF World Tour Finals, where 19-year-old An Se Young prevailed 21-16, 21-12 to lift the trophy.

The pair have already met twice in 2026, with the South Korean extending her dominance both times. She won 21-17, 21-14 in the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open in May and a week later defeated Sindhu 21-17, 21-15 in the second round of the Indonesia Open.

Despite this, Sindhu is backing herself to put on a show for the fans and challenge Young’s dominance.

I have to fight her really, really hard. Every point matters. I know we played many times and she did really well. She was at her best. But I guess tomorrow will be a different day. Every day is a new day. I just have to go out there and do my best. Rest simply decides on that particular day. So yes, I am ready to fight,” said Sindhu.

To stop the Korean juggernaut, the Indian ace will have to treat it as a new day and fight for every point.

WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH SINDHU VS AN SE YOUNG FRENCH OPEN FINAL?

Indian fans can watch PV Sindhu vs An Se Young in French Open 2026 final live on FanCode. The title clash will not be available on any TV channel in India.

The final is scheduled to begin at 3:30 PM IST on Sunday.

– The end