Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu came agonisingly close to ending her winless streak against World No. 1 An Se Young, but eventually fell short in the women’s singles final of the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament.
Despite a brilliant start where Sindhu took the opening game, the South Korean Olympic champion mounted a strong comeback to seal a 16–21, 21–11, 21–12 victory in Paris.
The result extends An Se Young’s head-to-head advantage over Sindhu to 11–0. With this win, the South Korean star secured her fourth French Open crown and her 11th title of the season, further consolidating her dominance on the world stage.
Match Summary: Game-by-Game Breakdown
| Game | Score | Key Moments & Highlights |
| Game 1 | 21–16 (Sindhu) | Sindhu utilized her reach and steep smashes to break away from 15–11, capitalizing on An’s rare line judgment errors to wrap up the game in 20 minutes. |
| Game 2 | 21–11 (An) | The World No. 1 asserted control through sharp net play and baseline rallies, taking 9 of 10 points after the mid-game interval to level the contest. |
| Game 3 | 21–12 (An) | Sindhu initially built an 8–5 lead, but An responded with a 6–1 run before the interval and dominated the closing stretch to clinch the match. |
Key Player Quotes
Speaking after the high-intensity final, PV Sindhu reflected on the shift in momentum during the crucial moments of the match:
“I fought for every point. I could win the first game, and I was happy about it. But in the second game, it was equal until 5–all… After that, she took a lead and maintained it.”
“Even in the third game, I should have maintained the lead from 8–5. Unfortunately, she converted that into 11–9. That’s where I felt the difference was. But there are a lot of positives to take from this match. Going forward, I need to work on them.”
What’s Next for Sindhu?
Despite missing out on the title, reaching the final of a Super 750 event marks a significant return to form for Sindhu. Her strong opening-game performance against the world’s top-ranked player offers a solid foundation as she prepares for the upcoming leg of the BWF World Tour.