PV Sindhu returns to top 10 in badminton rankings after almost 3 years

Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu on Tuesday marked her long-awaited return to the world’s elite top ten. straight games win over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the opening round of the Indonesia Open Super 1000. The 30-year-old Indian held her nerve in a grueling 51-minute encounter to win 25-23, 21-16, book a place in the last eight and extend one of badminton’s most lopsided modern rivalries to a crushing 21-1 record.

The win neatly capped off a milestone week for Sindhu. When the Badminton World Federation (BWF) released its latest weekly rankings on Monday, June 1, Sindhu climbed one place to world No. 10. It is the first time the former world champion has breathed air into the top 10 in 31 months, having last held the ranking on October 22, 2023. Sindhu’s slide down the global rankings has been fueled by repeated struggles for form and a long competitive streak on hiatus after the Paris Olympics, where she withdrew for the rest of the season to treat a lingering leg injury.

However, in the current season, the Indian javelin player has rediscovered her core consistency. The in-form Sindhu has strung together a reassuring string of deep tournament runs, including a semi-final appearance at the Malaysia Masters and a hat-trick of quarter-finals at the Indonesia Masters, Thailand Open and Singapore Open.

While the opening round win at the Istora Senayan Stadium reaffirms her growing momentum, Sindhu’s ultimate litmus test awaits in the next round. She is ready to face reigning world number one and South Korean phenomenon An Se-young. The top-seeded Korean has an intimidating psychological advantage over the Indian. In his nine career encounters on the international circuit, Sindhu is yet to record a single match win against An. Despite these nine defeats, Sindhu managed to wrest the world numero uno with just a solitary game.

The impending clash also serves as an immediate redemption attempt. Only last week, An snuffed out Sindhu’s run to the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open with a clinical 21-17, 21-14 victory.

With her top 10 status restored and her confidence visibly repaired, a sharp tactical turn against the world’s best defensive player remains a definite obstacle to Sindh’s absolute revival.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

02 Jun 2026 17:03 IST