New Delhi, 14 January 2026 – Vietnam’s No.1 women’s singles badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh produced a sensational performance to defeat former world champion Pusarla Venkata Sindhu at the India Open 2026, delivering one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
Sindhu, the women’s singles world champion in 2019, is one of the most decorated players in modern badminton. The Indian star has previously risen to world No.2 in the Badminton World Federation rankings and owns an Olympic silver medal from Rio 2016 as well as a bronze medal from Tokyo 2020, held in 2021. Against such an accomplished opponent, Nguyen Thuy Linh (world No.23) faced a formidable challenge when she met Sindhu (world No.12) in the first round of the women’s singles on January 14.
Despite losing the opening game, the Vietnamese shuttler delivered a spirited comeback to claim a 2–1 victory after more than an hour of intense competition. In the first game, Nguyen Thuy Linh was frequently trailing but showed remarkable resilience, fighting back to level the score at 19–19. She even earned a game point at 20–19, but Sindhu held her nerve to snatch the game 22–20.
That proved to be the last highlight for the former world champion. From that point on, Nguyen Thuy Linh completely seized control of the match. Displaying sharp variations, improved court coverage, and clinical finishing, the Dong Nai-born player dominated the second and third games. She closed them out convincingly with scores of 21–12 and 21–15, sealing a memorable 2–1 win and sending Vietnamese fans into celebration.
According to BWF statistics, this victory marks the third consecutive time Nguyen Thuy Linh has defeated P.V. Sindhu. The two previous wins came at the Malaysia Masters in May 2025 and the Indonesia Masters in January 2025, confirming that the Vietnamese star has developed a psychological edge over the Indian icon in recent encounters.
The challenge, however, only grows tougher from here. In the second round of the women’s singles at the India Open 2026, Nguyen Thuy Linh is set to face world No.2 Wang Zhi Yi of China, another major test that will further measure her ambition and form on the world stage.
Nguyen Duc
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