PV Sindhu Aims for Success at BWF World Championships Taking Place in Her Home Country

Indian badminton sensation PV Sindhu is gearing up for the BWF World Championships 2026, which will take place in India. With the tournament being hosted on her home turf, Sindhu is eager to leverage the local support to secure a medal. During a recent press conference, she reflected on the significance of the event, recalling her victory at the 2019 World Championships and expressing optimism about her performance after nearly seven years. "It's special because the World Championship is happening in India. I'm excited because it's been many years since India hosted it. I won the World Championship in 2019, and after almost seven years, I'm hoping to do well again," Sindhu stated.

Sindhu's recent triumph at the Japan Open has significantly bolstered her confidence as she approaches this prestigious competition. "The Japan Open gave me a lot of confidence, and I hope to carry that confidence forward. Everything is going well, so I'm taking it one match at a time and looking forward to the competition," she remarked. The Indian athlete is particularly enthusiastic about competing in front of a home crowd, believing that the support from fans will provide an additional advantage during the tournament. "The crowd will give us a lot of support, and I'm really happy to play the World Championship at home. I hope to make the most of it and win a medal," she added.

Sindhu boasts an impressive track record at the BWF World Championships, having secured five medals—one gold, two silver, and two bronze—tying her with China's Zhang Ning for the most women's singles medals in the tournament's history. As India aims for multiple medals on home soil, all eyes will be on Sindhu, who has shown remarkable form leading up to the Championships.

In the tournament, Sindhu is set to avoid facing world number one An Se Young of South Korea and defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan until the later rounds. Her anticipated matchup in the pre-quarterfinals is against China's third seed Wang Zhi Yi, with a potential quarterfinal clash against sixth seed Putri Wardani of Indonesia. Meanwhile, in men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag are expected to encounter their first significant challenge from the 12th-seeded Indonesian duo of Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin, who recently reached the final of the Indonesia Open.

In mixed doubles, the 15th-seeded Indian pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto will receive a bye in the opening round, with their first major test likely coming in the round of 16 against sixth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui of China. Additionally, Rohan Kapoor and G Ruthvika Shivani will face Canada's Jonathan Lai and Crystal Lai, with top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China awaiting them in the second round. In women's doubles, Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly will compete against Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez of Spain, while debutants Simran Singhi and Kavipriya Selvam will start their campaign against Nikol Carulla and Carmen Jimenez of Spain.