India's Olympic medallist PV Sindhu created history by becoming the first Indian to win a BWF Super 750 title after defeating world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi in straight games in the Japan Open 2026 final. The victory also ended her long wait for a major title and marked a strong comeback after a difficult period in her career.
After lifting the trophy, Sindhu opened up about the role Virat Kohli played during one of the toughest phases of her journey. The two-time Olympic medallist said she reached out to the former India cricket captain when she was struggling with injuries and poor results.
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How Kohli's chat helped PV Sindhu in Japan Open title
Sindhu revealed that Kohli responded almost immediately and met her the very next day. While she chose not to reveal what they discussed, she admitted that the conversation had a lasting impact on both her and her husband, Venkata Datta Sai.
Hard Work Behind the Comeback
Sindhu said the last few months have been about rebuilding herself, both physically and mentally. She focused on enjoying her daily training again and also experimented with different recovery methods at home.
Her husband, Venkata Datta Sai, regularly suggested recovery tools and gadgets that could help speed up her rehabilitation and improve her fitness.
The 31-year-old has also made several changes to her preparation. She has been training under Indonesian coach Irwansyah, while Wayne Lombard has been working with her as strength trainer.
Sindhu has shed around 3.5 kgs, which has improved her movement on court and helped her handle long rallies better. Her net game has also become sharper, and she has started using performance data more closely to identify areas that need improvement after every match.
With her confidence back after the Japan Open title, Sindhu will now look to carry the momentum into the upcoming BWF World Championships, which India will host next month and will take place in New Delhi
Sindhu’s Next Tournament
Sindhu’s next challenge will be the China Open, a BWF Super 1000 tournament that gets underway on July 22.
She will begin her campaign against 18-year-old Unnati Hooda in the Round of 32 and will be aiming to continue her impressive run of form.