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PV Sindhu was close to ending a long wait, but world No. 1 An Se-young did not let that happen. The South Korean put on an enthralling display to beat the Indian badminton star 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 in the French Open 2026 final at Arena Grand Paris on Sunday. Sindhu won the opening game and appeared to be firmly in control. But the match turned completely on its head. The result extends An’s head-to-head record to 11-0 while denying Sindhu her second Super 750 title of the year.
French Open Badminton Final Highlights
Sindhu triumphed in the opening game 21-16. She attacked early and kept the rallies short. For a while, the upset seemed possible, but things changed dramatically.
The Korean tightened her defence, slowed the pace and let Sindhu make the mistakes. She won the second game 21-11 and the decider 21-12. The final lasted 61 minutes. Across the last two games, Sindhu managed just 23 points to An’s 42.
How PV Sindhu Reached The Final
Sindhu, ranked 11th in the world, came to Paris on the back of a patchy run. She lost to Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon in the Arctic Open quarterfinals. A week later, she fell to Germany’s Yvonne Li in the Denmark Open opener. Paris brought a turnaround.
In the semifinal, she beat Japan’s Hina Akechi, the world No. 22, 21-10, 20-22, 21-16 in 73 minutes. From 16-all in the decider, she won the last five points. “The job is not done yet,” she said afterwards. She was the last Indian standing in the draw. The final was her second Super 750 final of 2026, after her Japan Open title in July.
An Se-young Remains Unbeaten Against Sindhu
An is the world No. 1 and the reigning Olympic and world champion. She arrived in Paris as the defending champion and certainly lived up to the expectations.
Her China Masters meeting with Sindhu in Shenzhen ended 21-14, 21-13 in just 38 minutes. This final lasted 23 minutes longer. Taking a game off the best player in the world is no small thing. Sindhu’s attack still bites, and her fitness held up deep into a long week.