PV Sindhu Knocked Out Early from Home Tournament in New Delhi

India’s star badminton player PV Sindhu lost a match in the initial round of the India Open 2026. TL Nguyen of Vietnam beat Sindhu in a Round of 32 match at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.

PV Sindhu saved important points at the beginning of the match, as she beat Nguyen 22-20 in a closely fought game. The Indian player had to bank on her defensive skills as well as her shots at the net to emerge victorious in the first game despite her rival’s performance.

However, Nguyen had a turnaround in the second game with her attacking play. She controlled the rallies, hitting her shots at Sindhu’s backcourt, and forcing some errors from the Indian player, thereby equalizing the match with a convincing 21-12 win.

Nguyen maintained her momentum in the deciding game. Sindhu, on the other hand, struggled to gain control. The Vietnamese player maintained pressure with sharp returns and a relentless attacking game, gradually building a lead. Sindhu attempted a comeback, but Nguyen remained calm and won the match 21-15, achieving one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

This defeat brought an early end to Sindhu's home tournament, while Nguyen advanced with a confidence-boosting victory. PV Sindhu had reached the quarterfinals of last year's Super 750 tournament, but failed to maintain her momentum in the semifinals. This first-round defeat has deeply disappointed Indian fans.

Sindhu started the 2026 season well, reaching the semifinals of the Super 1000 Kuala Lumpur event in Malaysia. However, she suffered a close defeat to world number two Wang Xiyi. Sindhu lost to the Chinese shuttler 16-21, 15-21.