Sindhu drops to her lowest BWF ranking in a decade
Battling wavering form and persistent injury concerns, 2023 has been anything but easy for Indian shuttler PV Sindhu. On Tuesday, she lost five places to drop down to world number 17 after her quarter-final defeat at the US Open. Sindhu lost to a lower-ranked opponent which saw her rankings drop. Notably, this is her lowest ranking in over a decade. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
Ace shuttler Sindhu has made India proud in many global events. She is a two-time Olympic medallist and has many other accolades to her name. She has been the primary flag-bearer for India in badminton for the last decade or so. But ever since the Commonwealth Games and her ankle injury, Sindhu hasn't been the same. The shuttler has pledged to come back stronger.
A quarterfinal defeat at the US Open
After reaching the semi-finals of the Canadian Open, Sindhu gained some confidence. Her court coverage and range of shots were much better. However, the veteran shuttler lost to China's Gao Feng Jie 20-22, 13-21 to crash out of the quarterfinals. Feng Jie is ranked 27th in the world and therefore, losing to her was a significant blow to Sindhu's ranking.
Twitter Post
This loss left a significant emotional impact on me: Sindhu
Sindhu shared her disappointment after the defeat. She also promised to return stronger. "This loss has left a significant emotional impact on me, considering the challenging year I've had. It's disheartening to experience a defeat after each successful tournament. However, I am determined to channel my emotions into redoubling my efforts and making the remainder of the year remarkable," she tweeted.
No titles for Sindhu in 2023
The 28-year-old needs to find her feet soon as the Olympic qualification window will end next April. She has only made one final this year, which is the Spanish Masters in Madrid, where she lost to Gregoria Tungjung. Since then, she hasn't made it to a final in 2023. Her last title was when she won the CWG gold medal last year.
Sindhu dropped out of the Top 10 in March
Sindhu started the year as world number seven, but with persistent injury concerns, she dropped out of the top 10. It was for the first time since November 2016 that Sindhu had dropped out of the top 10. However, with her dropping down to 17th, this is her lowest ranking since January 2013. She reached her career-best second rank in April 2016.
Muhammad Hafiz Hashim gets SAI's approval to become Sindhu's coach
Sindhu had earlier requested the Mission Olympic cell of the Sports Authority of India for a change of assistance. There, she wanted SAI"s approval to appoint former Malaysian shuttler Muhammad Hafiz Hashim as her new coach. Her request has been approved by SAI, and Hashim will accompany her in the upcoming events. Hopefully, Hashim will help Sindhu rediscover her winning touch.
Only Indian female to win multiple Olympic medals
Sindhu has created several records in her illustrious career, but her triumphs at the Olympics were simply sensational. She was the first Indian woman to own two Olympics medals. She had to settle for silver after losing to Carolina Marin in the finals of the Rio Olympics in 2016. The 28-year-old bagged the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics after beating China's He Bingjiao.
