Badminton rankings: Sindhu returns to top 8, Christo Popov makes French history

Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu on Tuesday returned to the top eight of the BWF women’s singles world rankings, moving up three places after her runner-up finish at the French Open Super 750 in Paris. The latest ranking brought a historic milestone for France as well, Christo Popov became the first French badminton player to reach world number one in men’s singles.

Sindhu’s rise marks her best ranking since January 2022, when she was among the top seven in the world. The Indian slipped outside the top 10 but made a strong comeback on the international circuit, winning the Japan Open for her maiden Super 750 title in July before reaching the final in Paris.

Sindhu came close to adding another title to her collection on Sunday when she played her pre-tournament opener against world number one An Se Young. The South Koreans won 16-21, 21-11, 21-12. The result extended Ana’s winning streak against Sindh, but the Indian’s performance encouraged her as she looks to build consistency ahead of the season-ending tournaments.

Sindhu will feature at the Hylo Open in Germany this week, where she will be the second seed in women’s singles. He is also chasing qualification for the BWF World Tour Finals, scheduled to be held in Hangzhou from December 9-13.

Sindhu is currently ninth in the World Tour Finals standings with 62,510 points, just 40 behind Denmark’s Line Christophersen. The top eight in the rankings qualify for the season-ending tournament, giving Sindhu an opportunity to secure a spot with strong performances in the remaining events.

Meanwhile, India’s Ashmita Chaliha climbed six places to a career-best world ranking of 30th after reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open. Her latest result builds on an impressive season that included the Korea Masters Super 300 title.

India now have four players in the women’s singles top 30, Tanvi Sharma at 21st and Unnati Hooda at 22nd to join Sindhu and Chaliha. The depth offers encouragement for Indian badminton as the season draws to a close.

An Se Young continues to lead the women’s singles rankings after another successful campaign. Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi remains second, while the South Korean maintains a considerable lead at the top after consistent results on the World Tour.

HISTORY OF FRANCE

In the men’s singles, Popov made history by winning the French Open on home soil and climbing to the top of the world rankings. The Frenchman beat Indonesia’s Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah 21-11, 14-21, 21-13 in the final and recovered from a second-game elimination to claim the biggest title of his career.

Popov’s success is a milestone for French badminton. He became the first French player to win the men’s singles title at the French Open since Henri Pellizza in 1946, ending an 80-year wait for a home champion. His rise to world number one also underlines France’s growing strength in the sport.

Reigning world champion Alex Lanier is another influential Frenchman, sitting in the world’s top five. With Popov at No. 1 and Lanier among the leading players, France has built a formidable presence in men’s singles.

India’s Lakshya Sen remains the country’s highest-ranked singles player at 14th while Ayush Shetty occupies the 19th position. Both will be looking to make further progress as the badminton season draws to a close.

– The end