PV Sindhu breaks Chen Yufei jinx, becomes first Indian woman to reach Japan Open final | Badminton news

PV Sindhu enters Japan Open final (Image: ANI)

PV Sindhu booked her place in the women’s singles final of the 2026 Japan Open on Saturday, becoming the first Indian shuttler to reach the pinnacle of the prestigious tournament. The two-time Olympic medalist advanced after reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei withdrew midway through the second leg with a hamstring injury. Sindhu had already taken the first game 21-19 and led 15-10 in the second when the Chinese star was forced to retire.The victory marked a significant milestone for the Indian ace, ending a five-game losing streak against Chen and securing her first win over the Chinese shuttler since the 2019 BWF World Championships.

Impressive ride to the final

Sindhu enjoyed an impressive run in Tokyo. She began her campaign with a confident string of performances, including a notable win over world no. 5 Han Yue before being beaten in the quarterfinals by former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.The final also marks Sindhu’s return to the BWF Tour title match after more than two years. Her previous final came at the 2024 Syed Modi International, which she went on to win, while her last appearance at a major BWF World Tour title was the 2022 Singapore Open Super 500.

Sindhu credits attention to focus for the comeback win

Reflecting on her achievement, Sindhu expressed her delight at reaching the final after a challenging week of competition.“I am very happy to have gone to the final,” Sindhu said after the match.She emphasizes the importance of maintaining focus during tournaments, especially against elite opponents.“For me every match was very important from the first match, especially today’s match. It was important to be focused from the beginning because when you play with top players, it is important that every point counts, so winning that first match was really very important,” she said.Sindhu will now face home favorite and former world champion Akane Yamaguchi in Sunday’s final, with the Indian aiming to win her maiden Japan Open title and continue her revival on the BWF World Tour.