PV Sindhu beat Chen Yufei jinx to become first Indian woman to reach Japan Open final

PV Sindhu enters Japan Open final (Image: ANI) PV Sindhu on Saturday qualified for the women’s singles final at the Japan Open 2026, becoming the first Indian shuttler to reach the top event of the prestigious tournament. The two-time Olympic medalist advanced after reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei retired midway through the second match with a hamstring injury. Sindhu had already taken the opening game 21-19 and led 15-10 in the second when the Chinese star was forced to retire.The win marked a major milestone for the Indian ace, ending a five-match losing streak against Chen and giving her her first win over the Chinese shuttler since the 2019 BWF World Championships.

Impressive progress to the final

Sindhu enjoyed an impressive run in Tokyo. She opened her campaign with a series of confident performances, including a remarkable win over world No.5 Han Yue, before receiving a quarter-final berth from former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.The final also marks Sindhu’s return to a BWF Tour title match after more than two years. Her previous final appearance came at the Syed Modi International in 2024, where she won, while her last major BWF World Tour title was the Singapore Open Super 500 in 2022.

Sindhu credits the focus for the comeback victory

Reflecting on her achievement, Sindhu expressed her joy at reaching the final after a tough week of competition.“I am very happy to have reached the final,” Sindhu said after the match.She emphasized the importance of maintaining focus throughout the tournament, especially against elite opponents.“For me every match from the first match was very important, especially today. It was important to focus from the beginning because when you play with the best players it is important that every point counts, so winning the first match really mattered a lot,” she said.Sindhu will now face home favorite and former world champion Akane Yamaguchi in Sunday’s final, with the Indian eyeing her maiden Japan Open title and continuing her resurgence on the BWF World Tour.