PV Sindhu booked her place in the women’s final of the Japan Open 2026 on Saturday, becoming the first Indian swimmer to reach the finals of the prestigious tournament. The two-time Olympic medalist advanced after reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei retired midway through the second round due to a hip injury. Sindhu had already taken the opening game 21-19 and was leading 15-10 in the second set when the Chinese star was forced to withdraw.The victory marked a milestone for the Indian ace, ending a five-match losing streak against Chen and securing his first win over the Chinese since the 2019 BWF World Championships.
An impressive run to the finish line
Sindhu has enjoyed an impressive run in Tokyo. He started his campaign with many strong performances, including a big win over World No. 5 before Han Yue received the quarter final from former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.The final also marks Sindhu’s return to the BWF Tour after more than two years. His last appearance came at the Syed Modi International in 2024, where he won, while his most recent BWF World Tour title was the Singapore Open Super 500 in 2022.
Sindhu is focused on a comeback win
Reflecting on her performance, Sindhu expressed her happiness at reaching the final after a tough week of tournaments.“I am very happy to have reached the final,” Sindhu said after the match.He also stressed the importance of staying alert throughout the competition, especially against top competitors.“For me every game was very important from the first game, especially today’s game. It was important from the beginning to be interested because when you play with top players it is important that every point is important, so winning the first game was very important,” he said.Sindhu will now face world favorite Akane Yamaguchi in Sunday’s final, with the Indian looking to claim her maiden Japan Open title and continue her renaissance on the BWF World Tour.
