At 31, Sindhu roars back with bigger script

CHENNAI: Just days before the final, legendary coach Pullela Gopichand had sent out a warning message: “Sindhu is definitely a threat to the Olympics”. Sindhu was 31, had not yet won the Japan Open and had been on a long trophy drought, dating all the way back to 2024 when she won a Super 300 (Syed Modi International). You had to go back almost seven years to remember Sindhu’s last BWF Major win.

When you put all of this baggage into the circumstance, you wouldn’t be wrong in assuming Gopichand was just trying to cheer Sindhu up. Rather, he was trying to tell you the truth, and 31-year-old Sindhu is fit and firing as well as she ever did, and her win over long-time rival and World No 3 Akane Yamaguchi certainly showed that.

"Well, actually, I had tears in my eyes because it was very important for me to win. Because I was really focusing hard and working hard on myself," two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu said after ending a title drought of almost two years.

While Sindhu has certainly shown trophy-threatening moments in the recent past, those moments were cut short by either injuries or untimely exits from the tournament, leading to her dry spell on court. Someone of her status could have clearly transcended herself into the sunset, but despite the gruelling injuries and physical struggles, Sindhu fought through it all.

"I'm just out of words because it was 19 months since I had won ... I kept believing that I could do it. Even though a lot of people were like, what's happening? Is it done or whatever it is? But I still believed in myself, and I want to thank my family, my coaches and my support staff."

Now, coming to the clash itself, Yamaguchi has had Sindhu’s number quite a bit, and it seemed like the Japanese shuttler would repeat her feat. Especially when the first game was at 17-17, and her past demons could have easily hunted her down. But she then took the initiative, took the attack to the crowd favourite and rallied herself to soar to a new high, becoming the first Indian to win a Japan Open.

"I need to keep up the same tempo and maintain the same calmness. And stay confident and keep going. That is the aim. And I think it's really good to win at this time and maintain that," she said.

It most definitely helped her take the second set, brewing in much more confidence while the scoreline might still read the same 21-17. Sindhu didn’t just win; she rolled back the years and showed an attacking strength she has rarely displayed over the past two years. With a home BWF World Championship waiting and the Olympics around the corner, India’s dream of returning to the top of the Badminton ladder is renewed.