PV Sindhu reaches Japan Open 2026 final, first Indian in women's singles
Synopsis
PV Sindhu has become the first Indian to reach the women's singles final at the Japan Open, ending a four-match losing streak against Chen Yufei in a semi-final cut short by injury. Standing between her and a landmark BWF Super 750 title is world No. 3 and three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi — on home soil.
Key Takeaways
PV Sindhu reached the Japan Open 2026 women's singles final on 18 July , becoming the first Indian to do so.
Semi-final opponent Chen Yufei (world No.
4) retired with a hamstring injury while trailing 21-19, 15-10 .
The win ended Sindhu's run of four consecutive defeats to Chen Yufei; her previous win over the Chinese player was at the 2019 BWF World Championships .
Sindhu, ranked world No.
12 , will face Akane Yamaguchi (world No.
3, three-time world champion) in Sunday's final.
It is Sindhu's first BWF Super 750 final appearance and her first World Tour title clash since December 2024 .
India's PV Sindhu advanced to the women's singles final of the Japan Open 2026 on Saturday, 18 July, after her semi-final opponent Chen Yufei of China retired with a hamstring injury at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Sindhu was leading 21-19, 15-10 when the match ended prematurely, sending the two-time Olympic medallist into her maiden BWF Super 750 final and her first BWF World Tour title clash since December 2024.
A Historic Milestone for Indian Badminton
The result makes Sindhu the first Indian to reach the women's singles final at the Japan Open. It also snapped a run of four consecutive defeats to Chen Yufei, with Sindhu's last win over the Chinese shuttler dating back to the 2019 BWF World Championships semi-finals. For a player ranked world No. 12, reaching a Super 750 final against elite competition represents a significant resurgence in form.
The Opening Game: Where the Match Was Won
Sindhu credited the opening set as the defining phase of the contest. After establishing an early lead, she had to weather a spirited comeback from the world No. 4 before closing out the first game 21-19. Her coach's intervention during that tense period proved crucial.
'I was very focused and my coach kept saying, because I was leading the first game and Chen Yufei came quite close, it was important to be more focused. Sometimes when you're leading and you give away points, you suddenly get disheartened thinking 'why are these points going' or 'I was leading'...so lot of emotions go in your head, but my coach was saying that it's ok, it doesn't matter, just focus on the next point. And that really helped,' Sindhu said after the match.
Sindhu on Her Mindset and Point-by-Point Focus
Speaking to Olympic.com, Sindhu underlined that her approach against top-ranked opposition demands unwavering concentration from the very first rally. 'For me, every match mattered a lot from game one and today's match especially, was important from the beginning to be focused because when you play with top ranked players, it's important that every point matters. So, winning that first game really mattered a lot,' she said.
She also highlighted a pivotal long rally in the first game that lifted her confidence, and noted that even in the second game — before Chen's retirement — she had maintained a 3-4 point lead after the interval, with the Chinese shuttler pressing hard to close the gap.
What Awaits in the Final
Sindhu will face Akane Yamaguchi of Japan — the world No. 3 and a three-time world champion — in Sunday's final at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. It will be a home-crowd challenge for the Indian, who last claimed a title at the Syed Modi International in December 2024. A victory would mark the biggest trophy of her recent career and underline her return to the sport's top tier.
Point of View
But that should not obscure the quality of her first-game performance — she led convincingly and held her nerve under a late fightback from the world No. 4. The more telling signal is mental: her coach's mid-game intervention and her own point-by-point discipline suggest a player who has worked hard on the psychological fragility that has cost her in close matches before. The real test arrives Sunday, when she faces Yamaguchi on home turf in front of a partisan crowd — a pressure scenario that has undone Sindhu in the past. How she handles that environment will say more about her resurgence than the semi-final did.
NationPress
18 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did PV Sindhu reach the Japan Open 2026 final?
Sindhu advanced to the final after her semi-final opponent Chen Yufei of China retired with a hamstring injury while trailing 21-19, 15-10 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on 18 July 2026. Sindhu had been in strong control of the match at the time of retirement.
Is this the first time an Indian has reached the Japan Open women's singles final?
Yes. PV Sindhu's appearance in the Japan Open 2026 final makes her the first Indian woman to reach the singles final at this tournament. It is also her first BWF Super 750 final.
Who does Sindhu face in the Japan Open 2026 final?
Sindhu will play Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in Sunday's final. Yamaguchi is ranked world No. 3 and is a three-time world champion, making her the heavy favourite on home soil.
When did Sindhu last beat Chen Yufei before this match?
Sindhu's last win over Chen Yufei before the Japan Open 2026 semi-final was at the 2019 BWF World Championships semi-finals. She had lost four consecutive matches against the Chinese shuttler since then.
What was Sindhu's last title before the Japan Open 2026 final?
Sindhu's most recent title was the Syed Modi International in December 2024. A win in the Japan Open final would be her biggest trophy since then and her first BWF Super 750 crown.
