Exclusive: Indian coach Vidhi Chaudhary expects PV Sindhu to regain her best form soon

After returning from a long injury layoff, elite athletes battle not just their rivals but they also grapple their own fears and insecurities.

Naturally, it has not been a smooth sailing for PV Sindhu, India’s two-time Olympic medallist and the 2019 world champion, since she returned from a stress fracture injury on her left leg.

But she showed glimpses of her best form in her run to the Spain Masters final before producing three impressive performances against three top-20 players in the ongoing Badminton Asia Championships in Dubai.

Having beaten world number 17 Hsu Wen-chi of Chinese Taipei and world number nine Han Yue of China in straight sets, Sindhu lost a three-set battle to world number two and the reigning All England champion, An Se-young, in the quarterfinals.

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It was Sindhu’s sixth straight defeat to the 21-year-old South Korean sensation, but the Indian icon was pleased with how she fought in the first set against arguably the world’s best player.

“I am sad with the result. But I think I have been improving in every tournament I have played since the return from injury,” Sindhu told the Khaleej Times.

“I am happy that after injury I can play this way against the top players. It was a good test and a good progress.”

India’s coach Vidhi Chaudhary said it was heart-warming to see Sindhu’s fighting spirit after returning from a serious injury issue.

“Any individual in an intense sport like badminton will take six months (to hit top form) after returning (from injury),” Chaudhary told the Khaleej Times.

“I can show you the videos (when she was injured). She was on the bed for three months. So after coming back from that kind of injury, it’s very difficult for a player to come back to the elite level and perform like how she has performed.”

Chaudhary expects Sindhu to regain the form that earned her two Olympic medals and five world championships medals, including the 2019 gold.

“In the next three or four tournaments, you will see the difference,” he said.

“This year we have the World Championships (August 21-27) and the Asian Games (September 19-October 4). We are focusing on that. I am hundred percent confident that she would be back to her very best before the start of those events.”

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