PV Sindhu Advances to Japan Open Final After Chen Yufei Retires with Injury

PV Sindhu is back in a major tournament final. The two-time Olympic medalist secured her spot in the championship match of the Japan Open 2026 on Saturday, advancing past China's Chen Yufei at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. The highly anticipated semifinal concluded abruptly when the fourth-seeded Chen was forced to retire due to a hamstring injury midway through the second game.[2][3]

At the time of the stoppage, Sindhu was firmly in control, leading 21-19, 15-10 and displaying some of her most commanding badminton of the season. The result officially goes down as a straight-games victory for the Indian shuttler, breaking a frustrating five-match losing streak against the reigning Tokyo Olympic champion.[3]

The victory carries immense weight for the 31-year-old Indian star. It marks her first appearance in a BWF Super 750 final since the Denmark Open in late 2023, and her first BWF World Tour final of any tier since her triumph at the Syed Modi International in 2024. For a player who has been steadily searching for her peak form, the Tokyo run represents a massive breakthrough.[3][5]

Going into the match, history heavily favored Chen. The Chinese world No. 4 held an 8-6 head-to-head advantage and had won their last four encounters, including a decisive straight-games victory earlier this year at the Indonesia Masters. Sindhu had not defeated Chen since her historic gold-medal run at the 2019 BWF World Championships.[1][4]

However, Sindhu looked sharp from the opening serve. She established an early rhythm, edging ahead 6-5 and extending her lead to 11-7 by the mid-game interval of the first game. Her movement was fluid, and her aggressive shot-making kept Chen on the defensive and scrambling to cover the corners.[3]

Chen, known for her tactical resilience and exceptional retrieval skills, fought her way back into the contest. The Chinese star leveled the score at 18-18, threatening to steal the opening game. But Sindhu held her nerve, executing crucial points under pressure to close out the first game 21-19.[3]

Carrying that momentum into the second game, Sindhu raced to a 15-10 advantage. It was at this juncture that Chen's physical struggles became apparent. Unable to continue due to a hamstring issue, Chen approached the net to concede the match, sending Sindhu through to the summit clash.[2][3]

Sindhu's path to the semifinal had already been somewhat unconventional. She advanced past the quarterfinals without hitting a shuttlecock after her opponent, former world champion Nozomi Okuhara, withdrew from their scheduled match. Okuhara herself had benefited from a similar walkover in the previous round when top seed An Se-young pulled out with a foot injury.[1][5]

Despite the walkover, Sindhu's form in Tokyo has been undeniable. Earlier in the tournament, she dismantled world No. 5 Han Yue in just 35 minutes, a performance that signaled her readiness to challenge the top tier of the women's circuit once again.[4]

Sindhu now turns her attention to Sunday's championship match, where she will face a formidable challenge in home favorite Akane Yamaguchi. The third-seeded Japanese star booked her ticket to the final by rallying from a game down to defeat Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani 9-21, 21-16, 21-14 in the other semifinal.[2]

Yamaguchi, a former world champion herself, extended her unbeaten record against Wardani to 8-0 with the gritty three-game victory. Playing in front of a passionate home crowd at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Yamaguchi will be aiming for her fourth Japan Open title, setting the stage for a blockbuster final against the resurgent Sindhu.[2]