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PV Sindhu defeated Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in the Japan Open 2026 final in Tokyo, becoming the first Indian to win the Super 750 title. The two-time Olympic medallist ended a 19-month title drought with her biggest BWF crown since the 2019 World Championships.
Tokyo, Japan: The Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium fell silent for a moment as PV Sindhu raised her arms in triumph — a gesture that once felt routine but had become agonisingly elusive. Nineteen months. That was how long India’s most decorated badminton player had gone without lifting a trophy, a stretch that felt even longer against the backdrop of a foot injury and a run of near-misses on the tour’s biggest stages. On Sunday, under the bright lights of one of the world’s most demanding badminton audiences, the 31-year-old answered every question that had been asked of her.
Sindhu arrived in Tokyo as the 12th-ranked player in women’s singles, unseeded and without a victory over Yamaguchi in a completed match in four years. The Japanese world No. 3, a three-time world champion and six-time Japan Open finalist on home soil, represented the sternest possible test. By the end of 58 gruelling minutes, it was Sindhu who was standing in the centre of the court, celebrating with her coach, her eyes glistening.
The Forecourt General
Sindhu’s tactical blueprint was clear from the opening rally. Rather than trading purely on power, she controlled the forecourt with surgical precision, drawing Yamaguchi into lifting situations before unleashing her trademark cross-court and body smashes. She raced to a 3-0 lead before Yamaguchi’s trademark defensive retrievals dragged the score back to level at 3-3.
The first game became a study in momentum swings. Sharp net play and a thunderous cross-court smash put Sindhu ahead 8-6, but a pair of unforced errors invited Yamaguchi back in. A body smash from the Japanese levelled it at 9-9, and Yamaguchi edged ahead 11-9 at the interval. Then, right on cue, Sindhu produced the rally that defined the contest — a 36-shot exchange after the break that she won to restore parity at 11-11. From there she opened up a 16-12 cushion with relentless attacking intent.
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A Nation Holds Its Breath
At 17-17, the pair produced a breathtaking 38-shot rally, with Yamaguchi’s extraordinary defensive instincts keeping her in the contest. Sindhu allowed the scoreline to level, but she refused to let nerves take over. A fierce cross-court smash and a Yamaguchi error gave her a 19-17 lead. After three game points were earned, Sindhu closed out the opening game with a precise push into the backhand corner.
In the second game, Sindhu was simply dominant. She controlled the forecourt from the opening shuttle and raced to an 8-3 lead after a punishing 44-shot rally ended with an exhausted Yamaguchi hitting wide. Although the Japanese reduced the deficit twice — first to 8-7, then to 14-12 — Sindhu had answers each time: a booming smash here, a deceptive drop there, and the poise of a player who had been in these moments before.
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Twenty-One Points She Had Been Chasing for 19 Months
Two smashes carried Sindhu to 17-14. Yamaguchi clawed back to 19-17 with a fine net exchange and a couple of errors from the Indian, but then sent a return wide. Three championship points loomed. After two net errors briefly revived Yamaguchi’s hopes, the Japanese sent a final return long — the line call upheld after a video review — and it was done. Sindhu collapsed into her coach’s embrace.
Her reaction said everything. “I’m very happy, I’m just out of words because it was 19 months since I had won,” Sindhu said after the match. “I think this one was very important to me because playing in the finals, coming to the finals is one thing, but winning and standing on the podium getting that gold is a different thing. I’m very thankful to my coach, my parents, my support staff and of course my husband.”
History Made, Hunger Renewed
The win carries a weight well beyond the trophy. Sindhu is now the first Indian — man or woman — to win the Japan Open, a title that has eluded even the greatest names to have played in Tokyo. Her previous BWF title came at the Syed Modi International in 2024, a Super 300 event; this Super 750 crown is the biggest of her career since she became world champion in Basel in 2019. Her sole overseas title since then had been the 2022 Singapore Open.
It is also the 30th meeting between Sindhu and Yamaguchi, with the Japanese having won both their encounters earlier in 2026. Sunday’s result was Sindhu’s first full-match victory over her rival since the Thailand Open in 2022. With the Asian Games on the horizon and a world rankings climb back in sight, the question is no longer whether Sindhu can compete at the top level — it is how far she can now go.
Score: PV Sindhu beat Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 Tournament: BWF Japan Open 2026 (Super 750) — Women’s Singles Final
