PV Sindhu breaks Chen Yufei’s jinx, becomes first Indian woman to reach Japan Open final | Badminton News
PV Sindhu Booked her place in the women’s singles final at the Japan Open 2026 on Saturday, becoming the first Indian shuttler to reach the summit clash of the prestigious tournament. The two-time Olympic medalist stepped up after reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei retired midway through the second match with a hamstring injury. Sindhu had won the opening game 21-19 and was leading 15-10 in the second when the Chinese star was forced to retreat.The victory marked a significant milestone for the Indian ace, who ended a five-match losing streak against Chen and secured his first win over the Chinese shuttler since the 2019 BWF World Championships.
Impressive run to the final
Sindhu enjoyed an impressive run in Tokyo. He began his campaign with a series of confident performances, including an impressive win over World No. 5 Han Yue before receiving a quarter-final walkover from former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.The final also marked Sindhu’s return to a BWF Tour title match after more than two years. His previous final appearance came at the Syed Modi International in 2024, which he went on to win, while his most recent major title on the BWF World Tour was the Singapore Open Super 500 in 2022.
Credits to Sindhu looking for a comeback win
Reflecting on her performance, Sindhu expressed happiness at reaching the final after a challenging week of competition.“I am very happy to have made it to the final,” Sindhu said after the match.He emphasized the importance of maintaining focus throughout the tournament, especially against elite opponents.“For me every game is very important from the first game, especially today’s game. It is important from the beginning to focus because when you play with top-ranked players it is important that every point is important, so winning the first game is very important,” he said.Sindhu will now face favorite and former world champion Akane Yamaguchi in Sunday’s final, with the Indian looking to win her maiden Japan Open title and continue her resurgence on the BWF World Tour.
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