In the French Open 2026 final, P.V. Sindhu took the first game against world number one An Se-young — and it happened only for the second time in 11 personal meetings. The Indian athlete led 21:16, but then the South Korean champion turned on her usual dominance and finished the match 21:11, 21:12.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, reached the Super 750 final after beating Japan's Hina Akechi in the semifinal. This is already her second final of a tournament at this level in the 2026 season: in July she won the Japan Open. The Indian badminton player's achievement became part of her country's record — the tenth appearance in a BWF World Tour final (Super 300 and above) outside India in a season.
An Se-young, the Olympic champion, took her fourth French Open title and 11th of the season. Her advantage in speed, court coverage and defense showed after the first game: the Korean did not allow her opponent a single chance for another surge. For Sindhu, the defeat continued her winless streak against An — now 0:11.
Psychologically, the match showed the difference in consistency. Sindhu started aggressively, used her reach and attacking shots, but in the second and third games An imposed her own game — long rallies and flawless defense. After the match, the Indian athlete noted that against top players you need to be at 100% on every serve.
The situation resembles a chess game where one precise move opens the position, but subsequent mistakes lead to defeat: the first game was a rare success for Sindhu, but after that the Korean simply gave her no chance to repeat it.
For Indian badminton, reaching the final is a sign of growing depth. The country is beating its own record for finals at international tournaments, and Sindhu in 31 remains a key figure capable of challenging the leaders. This is not just a defeat, but confirmation that the gap to the absolute top is gradually narrowing.
