PV Sindhu Exits BWF World Championships 2026 After Narrow Defeat to Wang Zhi Yi
Sindhu's Journey at the Championships Comes to an End
New Delhi, August 20: India's renowned badminton player PV Sindhu faced a tough loss against China's Wang Zhi Yi in the pre-quarterfinals of the BWF World Championships 2026, concluding the host nation's singles campaign at the event.
The five-time World Championships medalist lost the match with scores of 11-21, 21-15, 17-21 after an intense 88-minute battle at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, despite strong support from the home crowd, as reported by a sports media outlet.
This defeat dashed Sindhu's hopes of clinching a historic sixth medal at the World Championships and ended her unbeaten streak against Chinese players in this tournament, having previously won all eight encounters against them.
Wang, who experienced cramps during the final game, managed to maintain her composure in the crucial moments to secure her spot in the quarterfinals.
Sindhu began the match with determination, but Wang quickly took charge, capitalizing on Sindhu's errors to win the first game 21-11.
In a remarkable comeback, Sindhu dominated the second game, energizing the crowd with her performance and winning 21-15 to force a deciding game.
The final game was a thrilling contest, with both players fiercely competing. Wang initially led 15-13, but the crowd's chants of 'Sindhu, Sindhu' spurred the Indian player on. A powerful smash from Sindhu and a subsequent error from Wang leveled the score at 15-15.
As the rallies intensified, Wang struggled with cramps but returned to the court to continue. She eventually took a narrow lead at 18-17, and despite a stoppage for her injury, she maintained her focus. Sindhu's final error handed Wang match point, which she converted with a deft drop shot.
Wang celebrated her victory on the court, marking the end of Sindhu's quest for a sixth World Championships medal.
Earlier, Ayush Shetty also exited the men's singles Round of 16, losing to Indonesia's Alwi Farhan with scores of 19-21, 11-21. Ayush had previously upset World No. 1 Shi Yuqi but couldn't maintain his momentum.
Other Indian players, Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda, were eliminated in the second round, concluding India's singles challenge at the home championships.
On a brighter note, the women's doubles team of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced to the quarterfinals with a convincing 21-16, 21-12 victory over Japan's seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.
The world No. 39 duo, returning from Treesa's injury, is now just one win away from a World Championships medal.
However, mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto were eliminated earlier in the day after losing 16-21, 5-21 to China's Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui in the Round of 16.
With Sindhu's departure, India's singles campaign has officially concluded, leaving the nation's hopes for a medal at the home championships resting on its doubles teams, including Treesa-Gayatri and the men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who were set to compete against Malaysia's Yap Roy King and Junaidi Arif later in the day.