PV Sindhu sees new wave in Indian badminton: “Initially there was a gap but now we have these girls”

PV Sindhu has spent much of her career carrying India’s challenge in women’s badminton singles. Now, as the 31-year-old returns to the world’s top six, she sees a group of younger Indian shuttlers starting to make their mark on the international circuit.Tanvi Sharma, Anmol Kharb, Unnati Hooda, Devika Sihag and Ashmita Chaliha had remarkable results in 2026. Sindhu is delighted to see more Indian names competing at this level.“I am really happy to see so many youngsters doing well. Ashmita has done really well, Anmol has done really well and of course Unnati and Tanvi are here,” Sindhu said during a virtual media interaction on Wednesday.“We’re seeing a lot of young people and I’m really happy to have four or five girls who are doing well and representing the country. It’s always nice to have your fellow athletes and young people who are doing well and representing the country. What more do we need?”Sindhu also recalled a time when it was difficult to identify the next generation in women’s singles.“At first there was a gap and we didn’t know who the juniors would be who would come through. But now I can say that there are these girls who are really doing well in the women’s circuit. I’m glad that so many young people are doing well,” she added.The results this season indicate the depth that Sindhu refers to. Seventeen-year-old Tanvi became the youngest champion in Taipei Open history in August when she defeated Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Linh 21-16, 21-16 in the final. It was India’s first women’s singles title at the tournament since Saina Nehwal won it in 2008.Ashmita won her first BWF World Tour title at the Korea Masters, coming back from a match down to beat China’s Han Qianxi 14-21, 21-14, 21-14. The 27-year-old from Assam then beat former world champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-19, 21-18 at the French Open to reach her first Super 750 quarter-final.Unnati, who climbed to a career-best world ranking of 19th, reached the quarter-finals of the women’s singles at the Asian Games. She played a match with Yamaguchi and lost 16–21, 21–14, 17–21.Anmol won the Turkiye International Challenge in October and followed that up with a semi-final appearance at the HYLO Open. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Unnati in three games before losing to Sindhu 13–21, 16–21.Sihag opened India’s BWF World Tour title account for the year by winning the Thailand Masters Super 300 in February.

The HYLO Open title brings Sindhu back to world No. 6

Younger players are making strides while Sindhu has put together one of her stronger seasons in recent years. Her victory at the HYLO Open was her second BWF World Tour title of 2026, following her triumph at the Japan Open in July. She also reached the final of the French Open last week, where she lost to world number one An Se-young.In Germany, Sindhu beat Danish line Højmark Kjærsfeldt 21-12, 21-14 in 39 minutes. Completed the campaign without dropping the game. This title returned her to world number six, a ranking she last held in 2022.“Touchwood, I’m happy to be back again. I’m back in the top six after 2022 if I’m not mistaken. I’m happy it’s going well,” she said.However, Sindhu feels that there is still considerable room for improvement. “I would say there’s a lot more room, a lot more room for improvement and I’m getting there. I’m happy with it and I think there’s definitely a lot of things to work on. There’s a lot more room for improvement. I’m really looking forward to it,” she added.The former world champion believes she can return to the level she reached during her most successful years. Sindhu won the 2019 World Championships and has two Olympic medals.“If you take care of your body, sure. The answer is yes. There are a lot of athletes who are playing in their 30s, 31 or 32, and there have been a lot of athletes who have been at their peak. So why not get back to that peak again?” she said.“I’m getting there and I’m there. I say that because I know I can still do it. That’s why I said there’s a lot of room, a lot of room for improvement.”

’31 is the new 21′: Sindhu on managing her body

Sindhu’s recent run has come with a more selective approach to her tournament schedule. Her support team includes strength and conditioning coach Wayne Lombard, her physical therapist and trainer Irwansyah Adi Pratama. The group regularly assesses her condition before deciding on training load and participation in tournaments.“More than anything, we’re making sure we’re making smart decisions about which tournaments to play and what’s the condition of the body. Do I feel good or do I feel 100 percent? We analyze it every day,” she said.“Sometimes you have to make sure you change the schedule or work around it depending on my physical condition. It’s really worked that way. With my experience, I tell them how I feel and we work on it.”Part of this plan was Sindhu’s decision to skip the Korea Open and subsequent tournaments after a long competition. She wanted time to return home, recover and prepare before returning to the court.“The original plan was that I would play other tournaments as well. But I think it was important for me to make this decision because I needed to take care of my body and get back on the court stronger,” she said.But it’s clear to her that playing week after week without being fully fit is out of the question.“You’re not 20 anymore and you can’t play back-to-back tournaments. You have to make sure you give 100 percent in whatever tournament you play. To give that 100 percent, you have to make sure you’re at your best physically and mentally,” she said.“If you’re at 50 percent, make sure you back off, recover, come back stronger and bounce back stronger. You work on your mistakes and your game accordingly.”“If you’re not at 100 percent and you go 50 percent, it’s not going to happen. You’d lose a lot more confidence because you can’t give 100 percent. Losing to an unknown player when you’re not at 100 percent can make you feel really low and you might not get that confidence back,” she said.

Se-young’s challenge and badminton’s 15-point format

Sindhu’s French Open final against An Se-young gave her a lot to appreciate. She won the opening game but was unable to maintain the advantage and eventually lost the match. This extended the South Korean’s dominance over the Indian to 11-0.“After that first game, I felt like I gave her a huge lead in the second game. By the time I covered it, it was almost too late,” she said.“In the third game, I was there, I was up by two or three points and I should have been at the same pace. I felt like I could play the right shot at the right time. I gave her two or three points easily. I made some unforced errors, I felt.”Sindhu expects to make changes before their next meeting.“I’m sure there will be some changes in the coming days or months that will make it difficult for her,” she said.The demands of women’s singles have also changed over the years, Sindhu said, with rallies getting longer and patience becoming more important.“Badminton as a sport has always changed. Back then it was more about attacking play, but now there are longer rallies and you have to stay more patient on the court,” she said.The transition to a 15-point format from next year will require further adjustment. Sindhu believes the players will have less time to recover from the slow start.“We’ve been playing under 21 for so many years now. It’s important that we make sure we train and practice that scoring system as well,” she said.“There was still time at 21 points. Even if five points were gone, people could come back. But now, once those five or six points are gone, half the game is over. It’s important that you’re on your toes from the start,” she said.“You can’t give away easy points because before you know it, half the game is over. You have to be on your feet every time.”After securing her place in the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals, Sindhu will now turn her attention to the tournament as she looks to finish the season on a strong note.