P. V. Sindhu: Defeats in World Championships finals in 2017-18 made me stronger, taught me how to come back

India’s P. V. Sindhu said each of her five World Championships medals gave her a different experience during a press conference at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, in New Delhi on Sunday. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Aiming for her first World Championships medal in seven years, P. V. Sindhu arrives in New Delhi with renewed confidence following her Japan Open triumph. At a press conference ahead of the start of the tournament, the five-time world medallist spoke about the losses that shaped her, the evolution of her game, the pressure she feels before a major tournament, the importance of her new support team and what it means to finally compete for a world title on home soil.

Q: You must have renewed confidence after winning the Japan Open?

Definitely. Winning the Japan Open gave me a lot of confidence and a boost. I’m really looking forward to the World Championships, especially because it’s happening in India.

Q: You’ve won five World Championship medals. Looking back, which moments shaped your career and made you tougher?

Having five medals at the World Championships has been an amazing journey. Each medal gave me a different experience. I had bronze in 2013 and 2014, then silver (2017 and 2018) and eventually gold. That transition was wonderful.

But there were also difficult moments that made me stronger. One was losing the 2017 World Championships final to (Nozomi) Okuhara in Glasgow. It was a very hard-fought match, and I lost 22-20 in the deciding game. I was very hard on myself because I felt I was almost there and that it was just a matter of one or two points. That made me much stronger.

Sindhu lost 19-21, 22-20, 20-22 to Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in an epic final in Glasgow in 2017. | Photo Credit: AP

There were other moments too, like in 2018, when I was leading but lost the first game and eventually the gold. Those experiences, especially at the World Championships, made me stronger and taught me how to come back.

Q: How special would it be to win a medal here in India?

It would be very special. It’s happening in India after so many years. I won gold in 2019, and since then, it’s been almost seven years without a World Championships medal.

READ | ‘I kept believing that I could do it,’ says Sindhu after winning Japan Open

This time, the Japan Open win has given me a lot of confidence, so I hope I can carry that into this tournament. Everything is going well, but for me it’s about taking it one match at a time. I’ll get a lot of support from the Indian crowd, and I hope I can win a medal here.

Q: How have you changed over this seven-year period?

There have been quite a few changes, both in terms of my game and how I think and strategise. Badminton itself has changed. Earlier, women’s singles was more attacking and played at a faster pace. Now, there are longer rallies and you have to stay on court longer, so you need a lot of patience.

As a person, I’ve gained a lot of experience. I’m much more experienced in dealing with situations on court — whether there’s drift, how to control the shuttle, or how to adapt when things don’t go according to plan. Those are some of the things that have changed over this period.

Q: Are there still butterflies ahead of the first match?

I’ve had a lot of experience and played many first-round matches where there were butterflies and pressure. I won’t deny that there is pressure.

But at the same time, for me, there’s nothing to lose. I just want to give my best because I know I’ve trained hard and worked hard in my training sessions. I just have to go out on court and give my best, irrespective of the result.

The hunger for the game hasn’t changed. I know it’s still in me and that I can still do it. That hunger for the sport hasn’t changed.

Q: What do you think of the facilities here?

I really appreciate the effort that has gone into this. I’ve been here since yesterday and played today, and we’ve had really good sessions without feeling uncomfortable. Everything is comfortable and good.

Sindhu in action during a practice session ahead of BWF World Championships at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, in New Delhi on Sunday. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

From the washrooms to the people helping us, everyone has put in their effort day in and day out to make this happen. That itself shows that they’ve done a great job and that this can be one of the greatest World Championships.

As an Indian, I can proudly say that we’re fortunate to be playing here at home.

Q: Do you have any particular ways of staying focused?

Everyone has their own way. Some people might consider it superstition — trusting in God or praying that they do well. We all have our unique ways.

You can’t predict the result or know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Some players might have a particular racket, T-shirt, dress, hairstyle or shoes that they feel comfortable with.

For me, I just trust in God, go to the court and give my best.

Q: You’ve been pretty consistent since the Malaysia Open this year. What’s made the difference?

I’ve had a really good team around me, and it took some time to build that team. Once we got everyone together — the sports science team, physio and trainer — we sat down, discussed what was required and worked on those things with coach Irwansyah.

Everyone has played a major role. People see us when we play matches, but there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. We have to understand what is required and make smart decisions because sometimes your body doesn’t cooperate when you’re playing.

You need to know when to rest and make those decisions intelligently so that you’re at 100 per cent and peak at the right time. We’ve been doing that correctly, and that’s what has made the difference.

Q: You spoke about the changes you’ve made with the sports science team. How important has that been?

It was very important for me to have a sports science team around me. The coach is always there, but Dr Wayne Lombard heads the strength and conditioning, Hira is my physio and Shreyasi looks after the sports science.

It’s important to build that team around you because sometimes, your body isn’t at 100 per cent, but you still push yourself. Injuries can happen without warning, so you have to take precautions and make smart changes.

We now have gadgets and metrics that can tell us about strain, how tired you are and whether you can push yourself. Based on that, we can make changes — maybe doing a different kind of training the next day.

These small things have helped me. Physically and mentally, I’ve been quite good, and I’m able to see the changes in my game and movement. I’m happy that things are going in the right direction.

Q: India is hosting the World Championships after 17 years. Where were you the last time it was hosted in Hyderabad?

I was a very small girl. I used to come and watch matches from morning until evening. We would just play around and watch the matches. At that time, you just thought, “Okay, you get to see a lot of top players,” but you didn’t realise how serious it was.

Now when I look back, I feel I got to experience the best back then. And now, I’m here playing the World Championships in India 17 years later.

It’s really good to see how the whole journey has been so memorable. It’s always great to have the World Championships in India, and this time I’m hoping I can win a medal on home ground.

Q: We always speak about An Se Young, but you also have a rivalry with Wang Zhi Yi. How do you see that matchup?

I won against her at the last World Championships, but in our last match, I was leading and then lost. She’s doing well and she’s at the top.

Sindhu caused a major upset as she stunned China' s Wang Zhi Yi, the second seed, 21-19, 21-15 in the third round of the previous edition held last year in Paris. | Photo Credit: AP

With the top 10 players in the world, you just need to give your best. Everyone wants to play their best at the World Championships or any tournament.

We might know each other’s game, but you still have to make adjustments depending on the court and shuttle conditions and make sure you’re comfortable playing against them.

Every athlete has a different style. Whether it’s Wang Zhi Yi, (Akane) Yamaguchi or An Se Young, it won’t be easy. These will be tough matches and I need to be prepared.

Q: You were part of a golden generation that pushed the Chinese players, and now there’s another generation coming through. At the same time, there’s a new scoring system coming next year. How do you assess all these changes?

There is a younger generation coming up in badminton, especially in women’s singles, and there is some good talent.

The new scoring system will be very different and challenging. With 21 points, if you’re seven points down, you still have time to come back. With 15 points, if you’re seven points down, the match is almost done.

READ | “Format could wipe out some shuttlers” - Players, coaches weigh badminton’s scoring-system overhaul

You need to be on your feet from the first point. You can’t take it easy and think you can come back later. With the 15-point system, you have to be alert from the beginning and every single point will matter.

The game itself is constantly evolving. Earlier, it was a faster game, whereas now, there are comparatively longer rallies. With 15 points, it could become different again, with shorter and faster rallies, so you have to adapt.

I’m happy to see changes in the sport. Anything that is good for Indian sport is good. You have to get used to changes because that’s how sport works. The scoring changes, shuttles change, venues change — you don’t really have a choice but to adapt.

Q: How have you been able to strike a chord with Irwansyah? You previously worked with Mrs Kim and then coach Park.

It’s been good over the last one-and-a-half years. When you initially get a new coach, it takes some time for the athlete and coach to understand what each other needs.

Sindhu (left) celebrates with coach Irwansyah (right) after winning the Japan Open title at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on July 19 in Tokyo, Japan. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

But now, it’s working well. As I mentioned, it’s important for the coach and sports science team to come together, understand the requirements and work together.

I think that’s what we’re doing. It’s going well. You also need to keep making changes because the game keeps changing. Other athletes aren’t going to play the same game either; they keep changing their strategies. So, we need to make sure we’re adapting accordingly.

Published on Aug 16, 2026

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