Japan Open: PV Sindhu Enters Semifinal Without Stepping On Court; Ends 15-Year Wait For India
PV Sindhu reached her maiden Japan Open semifinal appearance after Nozomi Okuhara withdrew from the quarter-final clash.
Published : July 17, 2026 at 3:58 PM IST
Hyderabad: PV Sindhu made history on Friday as she earned a spot in the semifinals of the Japan Open. She became the first Indian women’s singles player in 15 years to reach the last four of the tournament. She entered the semifinal as former world champion Nozomi Okuhara handed her a walkover in the quarter-final.
The two-time Olympic medalist ended India’s wait at the Super 750 event. Saina Nehwal was the last Indian woman to enter the semifinals in the 2011 edition. She will now square off against former Olympic champion Chen Yufei of China to get a place in the title clash.
16 years later, history repeats. 🇮🇳🏸
— IndiaSportsHub (@IndiaSportsHub) July 17, 2026
In 2011, Saina Nehwal became the last Indian women’s singles player to reach the Japan Open semifinals.
Now, PV Sindhu has ended the long wait by storming into the Japan Open 2026 semifinals, becoming the first Indian women’s singles… https://t.co/xGDvvZhuit pic.twitter.com/Up1bQOyTbm
The quarter-final clash between Sindhu and home favourite Okuhara had some excitement amongst the crowd, but the latter’s withdrawal meant the Indian shuttler reached the last four without stepping on the court.
The Indian shuttler has been in fine form throughout the week. She commenced her campaign with a commanding 21-14, 21-11 against Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching in the opening round before outclassing world No.5 Han Yue in the pre-quarterfinals by 21-16, 21-14 in just 35 minutes.
Sindhu’s resurgence in 2026
The ongoing year has been an impressive season for the Indian shuttler. Earlier this year, the 31-year-old made it to the semifinals of the Malaysia Open Super 1000 and also another last-four appearance at the Australian Open Super 500.
Her consistency in the tournaments played this year has also helped her get back into the top 10 rankings for the first time in nearly three years. She also had an impressive outing in the Indonesia Open in June.
For Sindhu, the challenger will be tougher in the semifinals as she has lost each of the last five meetings against the former Olympic champion.
PV Sindhu's achievements
Sindhu is the first Indian to win two Olympic medals (Silver - 2016, Bronze - 2020). She is also the first Indian to secure a BWF World Championship gold in 2019. She also has two gold medals in the Commonwealth Games. Also, she has been honoured with Padma Bhushan (2020), Khel Ratna (2016), Padma Shri (2015), Arjuna Award (2013 by the Government of India for her remarkable achievements in Indian sports.
