French Open 2026: Sindhu loses final to An Se Young, misses historic title
Synopsis
Sindhu won the first game but could not stop An Se Young's comeback — and a 28-year wait for an Indian French Open title goes on. The defeat also confirmed An's perfect 11-0 head-to-head over Sindhu and extended the Korean's 2026 winning streak to 50 matches. Yet Sindhu's run still set a new record for Indian badminton abroad this season.
Key Takeaways
PV Sindhu lost the BWF French Open 2026 final to An Se Young 21-16, 11-21, 12-21 on 25 October 2026 at the Arena Grand Paris .
Sindhu missed becoming the first Indian woman to win the French Open since Aparna Popat in 1998 .
An Se Young's head-to-head record against Sindhu now stands at 11-0 ; her 2026 winning streak is at 50 matches with a season record of 65-1 .
Sindhu's French Open final was her second Super 750 final this season; she won the Japan Open in July, defeating Akane Yamaguchi .
Indian entries have now reached 10 BWF World Tour finals at Super 300 level or above outside India in 2026, a new national record surpassing the nine achieved in 2023.
PV Sindhu finished runner-up at the BWF French Open 2026 on Sunday, 25 October, losing to world No. 1 An Se Young of South Korea 21-16, 11-21, 12-21 in the women's singles final at the Arena Grand Paris. The defeat denied Sindhu the chance to become the first Indian woman to win the French Open title since Aparna Popat in 1998.
How the Final Unfolded
Sindhu came out of the blocks sharply, taking the opening game 21-16 against the top seed. However, An Se Young reasserted control to claim the next two games and seal the title in 61 minutes. The result extended An's head-to-head dominance over Sindhu to a formidable 11-0.
Reflecting on the performance, World No. 11 Sindhu acknowledged the relentless demands of competing at the highest level. 'When you're playing with the top athletes, you have to be at 100% every single point. I know it's not going to be easy, and you have to fight for every point. That's what we were doing,' she said.
Sindhu's Road to the Final
The two-time Olympic medallist navigated a demanding draw to reach her maiden French Open final. She beat Japan's Hina Akechi 21-10, 20-22, 21-16 in the semifinals, having earlier survived a tough first-round test against Thailand's Supanida Katethong before defeating Japan's Riko Gunji and Chiu Pin-chian of Chinese Taipei in straight games.
Sindhu's Season in Context
Despite Sunday's defeat, Sindhu's campaign represented a significant uptick in form. The French Open final was her second BWF World Tour Super 750 final of the season. She claimed the Japan Open in July, defeating Japan's three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi — her first BWF title since December 2024.
Notably, her run in Paris was part of a record-breaking collective effort for Indian badminton. The French Open final marked the 10th time an Indian entry had reached a BWF World Tour final at a Super 300 or higher-level event outside India this season, surpassing the previous record of nine finals set in 2023.
An Se Young's Remarkable Season
The reigning Olympic champion entered the final with a stunning 65-1 win-loss record in 2026 and extended her winning streak to 50 matches with Sunday's victory. For An, the French Open title was yet another addition to one of the most dominant single-season runs in women's badminton history.
What Sindhu Said Next
Despite the result, Sindhu struck a forward-looking note. 'I'm absolutely looking forward to much better badminton from me. I'm happy with this, but I think there's a lot of space, a lot of room still there. So I'm looking forward to it,' she said. With the season's final stretch approaching, Sindhu's combination of competitive finishes and a Super 750 title suggests she is building toward her strongest phase in recent years.
Point of View
Dismissing this runner-up finish would be a mistake: two Super 750 finals in a single season, a Japan Open title, and a national record for Indian abroad-finals collectively suggest Sindhu is in the best form of her post-Tokyo phase. The real question is whether her coaching setup can translate consistent form into a specific plan for An — because head-to-head records at this lopsidedness rarely correct themselves without deliberate tactical change.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the result of the BWF French Open 2026 women's singles final?
World No. 1 An Se Young of South Korea defeated India's PV Sindhu 21-16, 11-21, 12-21 in the women's singles final at the Arena Grand Paris on 25 October 2026. The match lasted 61 minutes.
What record did Sindhu miss at the French Open 2026?
Sindhu narrowly missed becoming the first Indian woman to win the French Open title since Aparna Popat claimed it in 1998 — a gap of 28 years. Her runner-up finish was, however, her maiden French Open final.
What is An Se Young's head-to-head record against Sindhu?
An Se Young has now won all 11 of her matches against PV Sindhu, maintaining a perfect head-to-head record. The Korean's overall 2026 winning streak stands at 50 matches with a season record of 65-1.
How did Sindhu perform at the French Open 2026 before the final?
Sindhu reached the final by defeating Japan's Hina Akechi 21-10, 20-22, 21-16 in the semifinals. Earlier she beat Thailand's Supanida Katethong in a tough first-round match, then overcame Japan's Riko Gunji and Chiu Pin-chian of Chinese Taipei in straight games.
How has Sindhu performed overall in the 2026 BWF season?
Sindhu has had a strong 2026 campaign, reaching two Super 750 finals and winning the Japan Open in July by defeating three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi — her first BWF title since December 2024. She is ranked World No. 11 and her French Open run helped India set a new record of 10 BWF World Tour finals at Super 300 level or above outside India in a single season.
