PV Sindhu: 'Winning for India still means everything to me'

She’s the girl who put Indian badminton on the world map. PV Sindhu has already lived multiple sporting lives. Olympic silver in Rio 2016, Olympic bronze in Tokyo 2020, World Championship gold in 2019, Commonwealth Games gold in 2022, and a trophy cabinet that most athletes only dream of.

But the last few years tested her in ways medals never could.

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Injuries, coach changes and early exits. The questions started to get louder:

Was this the end of an era? The Japan Open 2026 answered them. In July, Sindhu did what she does best — she fought back.

The 31-year-old beat world No. 4 Chen Yufei in the semis, ending a five-match losing streak, then stunned home favourite and three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi in the final to claim her maiden Japan Open Super 750 title.

More than the trophy, it was the way she won — sharper footwork, fewer unforced errors, and a team around her that finally clicked on recovery and planning.

In this exclusive interview, Sindhu talks about belief on bad days, why she never doubted herself, the work behind the win, and the one thing she still wants most — to stand on the podium with the national anthem playing for India.

Q. You’ve earned podium places at the Olympics and World Championships medals, including the gold in 2019. But the last few years have been difficult, with injury issues and lack of form. Considering all that, the Japan Open triumph must have felt so special...

It is definitely a special one because every win is different. Of course, I feel happy about it and for the hard work that I’ve done and I think it paid off. So this time, the Japan Open is very special because I’m winning again after 2022. So, it is definitely a special one for me and I will cherish it.

Q. You’ve had injuries, coach changes, early exits. What’s the one thing you changed in your training or in your head that got you back here?

Yes, it took me many months to get a win. I’ve changed coaches and I think each coach has taught me something or the other. And after that, I’ve had early exits, there were injuries. But all of these are part and parcel of life. But the experience, my hard work and belief in myself — I think that’s what got me till here.

Q. Was there a low point where you doubted if you would win a big title again?

Well, definitely no. I didn’t doubt myself. I’ve always believed in myself. Yes, injuries do happen, and it is a tough situation where mentally and physically you’re like, ‘What’s happening!? Will you come back 100% or will you give your 100%?’ You have a lot of things going on in your mind. And I think I just told myself: let’s take one day at a time, and I’m just going to give my best and train hard for every session.

Q. So is Japan Open win part of a bigger plan for you?

Definitely. Japan Open gave me a lot of confidence. And with this confidence, I hope I do well in the upcoming tournaments as well, which would be the 2026 World Championships (August 17-23) coming up.

Q. You’ve done so much for sport in India. What’s the one thing you still want to achieve for badminton?

I think a lot of people have been taking me as inspiration and a lot of kids have started playing sport. Winning a medal for the country is always special — holding the national flag and standing on the podium, wanting to hear the national anthem. I think you would always want that. Even now, anything that I want, I would say playing for my country and standing on the podium and getting that medal for the country. I think that means everything to me.

Q. Your movement looked sharper this tournament. What specific work did you do on footwork and recovery?

I think I worked on myself and overall we worked on skill and physical fitness. I had to make sure everything is on point because the game has changed. From five, six years ago to now, the game has definitely changed a lot. I had to be much more consistent, reduce my unforced errors and be quick on my feet. So definitely worked on all these aspects.

Q. What’s the one new thing your current coaching team brought in that clicked for you in Japan?

More than anything, as a team, we worked as a team and I think team effort definitely means a lot. As a coach, as a physio, as strength and conditioning coach, it’s very important that we get together and work on what is required and be smarter on what we are doing. And give your body that good amount of recovery when it’s required. I think we followed the protocols the right way. And that clicked. Recovery is huge now.

Q. What’s your non-negotiable after matches — ice bath, physio, sleep?

I think all are non-negotiable. Ice bath, depending on how my body is, of course. Physio — definitely, she will see my body, how it is and what needs to be done. And sleep is, of course, non-negotiable.

Q. The women’s singles field is stacked right now — Chen Yufei, Akane. What’s it like competing in this era?

It feels good to be competing in this era, to be competing with a lot of youngsters who are coming up now. And beating Chen Yufei and Akane in Japan definitely gives me a lot of confidence. So, it feels really good to compete in this era.

Q. You’ve had iconic matches against Tai Tzu-ying, Carolina Marin and Nozomi Okuhara. If you could pick one for one more match, who would it be?

Well, they were all great players and I’ve played a lot of times with them. Each one of them had a different style of play. So I think I’m okay playing with anyone. Obviously, Carolina and Tai Tzu have retired. So I wish them a wonderful life ahead.

Q. Do you feel the gap between Asian and European players is closing or is Asia still way ahead in women’s singles?

I don’t want to justify saying Asians are good or Europeans are not. But every athlete is working hard. Every athlete wants to play, wants to win at the highest levels. I feel on that particular day, whoever plays well and gives their best is the winner. Because any moment anything can happen. Some days you might be brilliant, some days you might not be able to play your game. So whoever gives their best and plays their best is the winner.

Q. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in Indian badminton since you started?

There are a lot of players now who are doing really well. Since the time I started until now, badminton as a sport has increased and it’s gotten a lot of recognition. The support has been really good from the government, the Badminton Association and from the sports authorities. I’m very happy to see that a lot of youngsters and athletes are coming and representing our country. That itself is a big thing for us.

Q. Doubles is booming in India now. Do you see yourself ever mentoring or playing mixed exhibitions to grow the sport?

For fun, we do play and in some team events I do play doubles. It’s really nice to play and you get to learn some strokes. So it’s always good to play doubles and mixed at times. For fun, it’s always good to play. Mentoring — I’m a singles player, so I don’t know. But definitely yes, I would love to play doubles. And I do play at times in team events.

Q. What’s the next goal — world No.1, another Olympic medal, or just enjoying the process?

Definitely enjoying the process and I hope I do well and keep myself fit and healthy. That’s very, very important. Stay injury free — that’s the most important thing. And automatically, if I do well... yes, Olympics is quite far away. Before that, I have a lot of upcoming matches. I hope I do well in that.

Q. You’re a role model for so many young girls in India and beyond. What would you tell a 14-year-old girl who’s holding a racquet because of you?

Enjoy playing sport, enjoy the process. Winning and losing are part and parcel of life. The most important thing is you go out there, enjoy and just give your best. Some people might get success at a very early age; some might take time. So, keep believing in yourself with hope and dedication. Keep working hard. I’m sure they will definitely do well for themselves and for the country and state as well.