PV Sindhu’s redemption story started with a phone call from Virat Kohli
Long before PV Sindhu stood crying on the podium at the Japan Open last week, holding his first major trophy in over two yearsThe groundwork for her return was laid at a quiet, unscripted meeting in Bengaluru.
The previous 24 months had been brutal. After suffering a stress fracture, a painful early exit from the Paris Olympics, results that refused to come. The rehab has stopped and started again more times than anyone cares to count, and the title drought, which stretched until the 2024 Syed Modi International, grew tougher by the month. The two-time Olympic medalist, written off by critics, worn down by repetitive tic-tac-toe, has reached a rare breaking point.
Desperate for perspective from someone who understood the isolation of the top, she called Virat Kohli.
“One thing I will always be thankful for is Virat bhai,” Sindhu said in a post on X.
“I reached out to him at one of the worst points of my career. The injuries were piling up, the results weren’t coming and I just needed someone who understood me. He responded within minutes and we met the very next day.”
Accompanied by her husband Venkat Datta Sai, who has been a pillar of support throughout her rebuilding phase and instrumental in building her current team with a sharper focus on data, Sindhu spent hours talking to former India captain Virat Kohli.
“What we talked about will always stay between us. But I’ll always be grateful that when I needed someone, he was there. He didn’t say much, but every word stayed with Datta and me. Some conversations change the way you see things. That was one of them.”
Kohli’s advice was almost insultingly simple: stop chasing silver, find joy again.
“The biggest thing I took away was how important it is to find your joy again,” Sindhu admitted.
“Today I know exactly why I wake up at 5:30 in the morning. And I can honestly say… it’s not the trophies. It’s not the wins. It’s something much deeper.”
Joy showed up dressed in the trophy anyway on Sunday. Sindhu defeated home favorite Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in the final, she became the first Indian woman to win the Japan Open and, at 31, the oldest woman ever to lift the Super 750 title. She raced forward, was pulled back, survived a brutal 36-shot rally to level at 11-11, closing the door on Yamaguchi’s late fightback at 17:17. The second game was the first, in miniature: dominance, a flash of resistance, Sindhu not even blinking.
ONE DAY AT A TIME
The rebuilding behind this calm was structural as well as spiritual. Working with Datta, strength coach Wayne Lombardo and Indonesian coach Irwansyah Sindhu, she shed 3.5 kilograms, honed her net tricks and learned to survive long rallies against defensive specialists instead of simply overpowering them. Patience was philosophical rather than tactical.
“It was very important for me to take it one day at a time,” she said.
“I kept thinking, ‘We’ll see what happens next. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.’ I slowly started to improve.”
There would be no half measures.
“I wanted to be my best and 100%. Because if I’m only 50% fit and say I’m fine, go on court, lose in the first round and come back, it doesn’t really matter.”
Everyone else was asking if it was over. Sindhu was asked to turn the question on herself. She didn’t avoid it
“I didn’t actually ask myself that question,” she said.
“But when you get injured as an athlete, you doubt yourself. You’re like, ‘What’s going on? Can I come back stronger? Will this injury be OK? Can I give it 100%?’ Those were the thoughts and emotions that were going through my head, because when you’re injured, sometimes you’re emotionally drained and you’re really down mentally.”
DATA AND ATTACK
Her game has changed as has her mindset. Under Irwansyah, the net game stopped being an afterthought to smash and became a weapon in its own right. Her aggression is now both from behind and from the front.
“It’s not just about smashes,” she said.
“Variety in your strokes is very important because players have become much stronger on defense. So you have to mix up your game accordingly. I used drops, half smashes and clears from the front and back of the court.”
Data now sits alongside instinct. It helps her train better and recover better.
“The data was one of the most important aspects. Tracking your exertion, understanding why you’re not moving properly that day. Otherwise you might start thinking, ‘What’s wrong with me? Did I slow down?’ This can put you in a negative frame of mind. Instead, the data tells you what’s happening and why.”
India hosts the World Cup in Delhi next month and the Asian Games in Japan soon after. Sindhu is no longer running away from decline, but towards something she has decided to want again.
“More than answering, I just want to say that I’ve always believed in myself,” she said.
“Yes, it’s been a long time and for me this title was very, very important. It gives me a lot of confidence and belief that yes, I can do it. And it’s not over yet.”
She stopped chasing the trophy. It was looking for her in Tokyo.
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
Jul 21, 2026 08:08 IST