PV Sindhu has carried the Indian badminton flag for over a decade. The two-time Olympic medallist has been a consistent presence on the podium at major events, but the past two years have brought fresh challenges for the former world champion.
Since her gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Sindhu has endured injury setbacks and a dip in form, slipping outside the world’s top 10 for the first time since 2016.
The BWF World Championships 2025, starting Monday in Paris, presents an opportunity to kickstart a revival.
The 30-year-old Indian badminton player already has five medals from the competition, including India’s first world title in 2019, and is chasing a sixth.
“I have had some good memories, good wins, good medals at the World Championships,” Sindhu told Olympics.com. “I still know that I have it in me, so I would want to be at the top, irrespective of (my current) ranking.”
The past year has tested Sindhu’s resolve, particularly after she missed out on a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Yet, her hunger to win remains undiminished.
“Last year, I was hoping that I could get a medal (at the Olympics), but that didn’t happen. I think I can’t just let go and think everything is done with it. I’ll learn from my mistakes and come back stronger.”
Adding to the challenge is how women’s singles has evolved since her breakthrough years. Once dominated by fast, attacking rallies, the game has become slower and more attritional.
“It’s quite challenging. Initially, the game was faster but it has now completely changed. Every opponent is right there for a longer period of time and not leaving the shuttle in long rallies,” she explained.
“Even the lower lot, who have their world rankings like 15, 16, 17, are good. On the day, anything could happen.”
Sindhu, currently ranked 15th, experienced that firsthand at the China Open last month, where she was defeated by 17-year-old Unnati Hooda, ranked world No. 30.
But pressure is nothing new. Since her silver at Rio 2016, Sindhu has lived with the weight of expectation, and the Olympic medallist said she chooses to embrace it.