Adapting to a new coaching style, Sindhu dominates at India Open 2025

Delhi: The crowd was on its feet throughout the 46 minutes that PV Sindhu played on the court one of the India Open Super 750 tournament on Thursday at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

The India came out on top against her Japanese opponent Manami Suizu winning 21-15, 21-13.

With this win, Sindhu booked her berth in the quarter-final against Olympic medalist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia.

It was a solid show from the former World Champion who was more attacking in her approach to the game and used quick pushes and flat smashes to dominate Suizu.

Talking to reporters about her dominance in the win, Sindhu said, "Good to be back dominating matches. Yeah, I'm very happy playing with her because it was our first time, and I think I was prepared for the long rallies."

"I am coming after a long break and what I liked about my game today was my movement and my attacks were working well. Moving forward, I need to be ready for anything because matches will get harder," explained Sindhu.

Adjusting under different coaches

Sindhu is currently training under Indonesian coach Irwansyah who is credited with the rise of men’s singles stars Jonatan Christie and Anthony Ginting.

In the past two years, PV Sindhu has worked with multiple coaches but still endured a challenging season which included a medal-less Olympic campaign.

When asked about how she has adjusted to all the coaching philosophies, Sindhu said, "Adjusting to different coaches with varied philosophies can be difficult, but I've gained a lot from each one. Now, we're focusing more on speed and movement, as I've been coming back from injury. It's important to be smart and injury-free."

"The coach's role is crucial in understanding the right amount of training and what needs to be done with an athlete," explained Sindhu.

Sindhu will face Olympic bronze medalist Tunjung in the quarter-final and had some intense exchanges in the recent past with the Indonesian. Sindhu boasts of a superior head-to-head record (10-3) against Tunjung but the Indonesian won the last time these two met.

When asked about her approach to the tournament, Sindhu said," As for seeing an Indian winner in the tournament, I hope so. It's important to be prepared and give my 100%. It's not going to be an easy match. I have to take it one match at a time."

When Sindhu takes the court on Friday, the Indian fans will hope that she defeats Tunjung and keeps the hope of an Indian winner at the India Open alive.