Following PV Sindhu's historic Japan Open Super 750 title triumph, Indian badminton icon Saina Nehwal has strongly praised her peer's incredible resilience and modified attacking style. Speaking to reporters at a media event in Delhi, Nehwa has emphasized that true champions should never be underestimated despite prolonged form slumps.
In her interview captured by ANI, Nehwal stated, "...you can never write a champion off. I think after winning this she's got her confidence back. She's always going to come back and do well. She's played at that level for so many years... Last two, three years were actually very tough. She was trying to come out of the injuries. That's a part of sports person's life and the way she's come out of it and showed that super series, win after defeating three, four top players here and quite comfortably, she's attacked very hard...".
Expanding on Sindhu’s performance, Nehwal noted that as athletes age, dealing with physical setbacks becomes highly demanding and stressful. However, Sindhu successfully managed that intense pressure to defeat world-class opponents like Akane Yamaguchi in straight games.
Nehwal believes this specific victory marks a vital turning point that fully restores Sindhu's psychological edge right before major international tournaments. By securing this debut crown in Tokyo, Sindhu effectively broke her extensive 19-month title drought, proving her elite elite status to the entire sporting community.
PV Sindhu reveals Virat Kohli's role in her comeback in Japan
Following her remarkable Japan Open 2026 triumph, Indian badminton superstar PV Sindhu has publicly expressed her deep gratitude toward cricket icon Virat Kohli for guiding her through the lowest phase of her professional career.
Battling a persistent string of stressful physical setbacks and a prolonged 19-month title drought, Sindhu had reached out to Kohli seeking perspective from someone who intimately understood the intense weight of global expectations.
Demonstrating immediate camaraderie, Kohli had responded to her message within minutes and arranged an extended meeting in Bengaluru the very next day to help realign her competitive mindset. Reflecting on this crucial turning point, Sindhu stated, “I reached out to Virat bhai at one of the lowest points of my career. Injuries were piling up, the results weren’t coming, and I just needed someone who understood. I met Virat the very next day, what we spoke about will always stay between us. But I’ll always be grateful that when I needed someone, he was there.”
While keeping the specific details of their conversation private, reports have indicated that Kohli’s advice focused entirely on letting go of external pressure and rediscovering the raw joy of playing. This powerful psychological shift had allowed Sindhu to rebuild her on-court confidence, culminating in her dominant straight-games victory in Tokyo to silence critics.
