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PV Sindhu entered the quarterfinals of the BWF World Championships 2025 riding a wave of confidence. The 15th seeded player in the tournament, beat the world number two Wang Zhi Yi of China in the Round of 16 on Thursday, August 28. In her victory, Sindhu delivered a commanding 21-19, 21-15 performance in 48 minutes, showcasing her aggressive smashes, sharp net play, and the composure reportedly gave a glimpse of vintage PV Sindhu. The win reignited the hopes that the former world champion could add to her remarkable tally of five World Championships medals (one gold, two silver, two bronze), a feat that would have placed her alongside China’s Zhang Ning as the most decorated women’s singles player in the tournament’s history.
Indian shuttler PV Sindhu saw her run at the BWF World Championships 2025 coming to a heartbreaking end on Friday, August 29, as she fell to Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani in a thrilling women’s singles quarterfinal at the Adidas Arena in Paris. The 30-year-old lost 14-21, 21-13, 16-21 in a tightly contested match that lasted an hour and eight minutes, dashing her hopes of securing a record-equalling sixth World Championships medal. The ninth-seeded Indonesian player proved to be a formidable opponent. The two players had a tied head-to-head record of 2-2 going into the match, with Wardani having previously defeated Sindhu in straight games at the Sudirman Cup earlier this year, though Sindhu had triumphed in their 2022 Asian Games clash.
PV Sindhu lost a game for the first time at BWF World Championships this year
The opening game saw Wardani take control early, employing sharp drops and well-angled smashes to keep PV Sindhu on the defensive. The Indian struggled to dictate rallies, as Wardani’s aggressive approach forced her to scramble across the court. Despite a brief resurgence, Sindhu couldn’t close the gap, and Wardani claimed the first game 21-14, marking the first time Sindhu dropped a game in the tournament. PV Sindhu roared back in the second game, her long-reaching cross-court shots and precise net play gave her a commanding 7-point lead at one stage, and she maintained her dominance to level the match with a convincing 21-13 win.
The third game was a rollercoaster, with both players trading blows in a neck-and-neck battle, Sindhu briefly led 9-8 after a 50-shot rally. However, Wardani refused to relent, using her deceptive shots to disrupt Sindhu’s rhythm. The Indonesian surged to a 14-11 lead, sealed the victory 21-16 and secured her place in the semifinals and a guaranteed medal, where she will face world No. 5 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan on Saturday, August 30.
“It’s not over yet, I need to come back tomorrow much stronger,” PV Sindhu said after the match. From her first-round win over Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova (23-21, 21-6) to her victory over Malaysia’s Karupathevan Letshanaa in the second round, Sindhu has shown flashes of her commendable form.
