The career of Indian badminton star and two-time Olympic medalist P.V. Sindhu concluded at the China Open 2026 tournament. On Thursday (July 23), she suffered a defeat in the preliminary round of the women's singles quarterfinals.
Match Progression in Changzhou
In the match held in Changzhou, Sindhu lost to Chinese player Chen Yufei with a score of 16-21, 22-20, 21-18. The match lasted 1 hour and 29 minutes and was marked by intense competition between both athletes.
P.V. Sindhu had a chance to defeat the world number 4 player, but losing four match points in the second set resulted in her defeat. After winning the first set, Sindhu maintained strong control in the second, leading her opponent 20-16 and being just one point away from victory. Nevertheless, her game began to unravel, errors appeared, and Chen Yufei managed to save all four match points, winning the second set 22-20.
Decisive Third Set
In the third and decisive set, P.V. Sindhu did not give up. Before the break, she led 11-8, but then Chen Yufei made an impressive comeback supported by the home crowd. Long rallies took place between the athletes, showcasing excellent defense and aggressive smashes, but ultimately the Chinese star won thanks to brilliant performance under pressure.
Replay Match and Comments
This match was a rematch of the Japan Open semi-final held last week. At that time, Chen Yufei had to leave the match due to injury, allowing P.V. Sindhu to reach the final. This time, Yufei was fully prepared and avenged her previous loss.
Former Indian coach Vimal Kumar called this match one of the best in recent years. He noted: 'This is a wonderful example of aggressive and defensive badminton. Both athletes demonstrated magnificent rallies, excellent tactics, and incredible resilience. Such matches are rare. Even after losing the second set, Sindhu showed a fantastic comeback in the deciding set, not giving up until the last point. If she had been a little luckier in the second set, the result could have been different.'
