Indian badminton star PV Sindhu’s campaign at the Australian Open 2026 has come to an end. In the women’s singles semi-final, Sindhu suffered a crushing straight-game defeat—20-22, 12-22—at the hands of Japan’s world number 3, Akane Yamaguchi. After putting up a tough fight in the first game, Sindhu completely lost her rhythm in the second and conceded the match.
With this victory, top seed Akane Yamaguchi has secured a spot in her fourth consecutive BWF Tour final. Meanwhile, Sindhu—who has been striving for a comeback after battling poor form and injuries over the past two years—saw her dream of winning her first title of the year shattered once again.
Indian Badminton Team Announced for Asian Games 2026
The Indian badminton squad for the 20th Asian Games, scheduled to begin in Japan on September 19, has been announced. Star shuttler PV Sindhu and the defending doubles champions, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, will lead the contingent. The team includes noteable names such as Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, and the duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.
The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has also given opportunities to young talents like Ayush Shetty, Tanvi Sharma, and Unnati Hooda. India will compete in all five events this time, including singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. In the previous edition, India won one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in badminton.
