PV Sindhu Creates History: First Indian to Win Japan Open

Tokyo: Indian badminton player PV Sindhu has won the women’s singles title at the Japan Open Super 750 tournament. In the title clash held on Sunday, July 19, Sindhu defeated Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in straight games, 21-17, 21-17. The match lasted 50 minutes.

PV Sindhu is the first Indian badminton player to win the Japan Open. Previously, no Indian player had won a title in any category of this tournament; this marked the first time an Indian player reached the final and clinched the title. Sindhu not only created history but also penned a new chapter for Indian badminton.

This victory is particularly special for PV Sindhu as she has secured a BWF World Tour title after a gap of 19 months. Her last title win had come at the Syed Modi International in December 2024. Having struggled with fitness and form for a long time, Sindhu has signaled a strong comeback with this win.

This marks the first time in her career that PV Sindhu has won a BWF Super 750 series title. It is also her first major international title since becoming World Champion in 2019. This was the 30th encounter between the 31-year-old Sindhu and Akane Yamaguchi; Sindhu has won 16 of these matches, while Yamaguchi has won 14.

Earlier this year in Malaysia, their match remained unfinished as Yamaguchi retired due to injury after losing the first game. However, the Japanese player had won seven of the ten matches played prior to that. The victory in the Japan Open final proved to be not just a title win for PV Sindhu, but also a resounding statement against her biggest rival.

PV Sindhu defeated Olympic champion Chen Yufei 21-19, 15-10 in the semi-finals; the Chinese player, Yufei, was unable to complete the match due to a hamstring injury. Sindhu displayed excellent form throughout the tournament and clinched the title by playing with the same confidence in the final.