Who is Devika Sihag, the Thailand Masters Super 300 winner, with the tall, rangy attack?

The Haryana teen’s father, a lawyer, would run at the stadium for fitness and was keen on his children taking up sport. Devika lost the Late Krishna Khaitan finals to Tara Shah one year, but her potential was always enormous. As she shot up in height – she’s 172 cm (nearly 5’9” now – her mother, a teacher, had to persuade her father to allow her to move to Bengaluru.

“At first, dad was not ready to send me. But my mum talked him into it. In six years, I’ve gotten used to the sacrifice of staying away from home,” Devika said.

She currently trains at Vimal Kumar’s Centre of Excellence, and has benefitted from Indonesian coach Irwansyah training Sindhu there. Sindhu’s superior fitness is an inspiration for Devika.

Still, the confidence to go the distance had been severely missing last year, when Devika kept losing in three games to mostly her Indian peers.

“She’s been very consistent this whole week, and patient. She always had the big smash, but needed someone to remind her to employ it,” said coach Sayali Gokhale.

In dumping out two higher-ranked players, including a World No.16, in Thailand, Devika not only reiterated her attacking prowess, but astutely mixed drops and clears that, owing to her height, have considerable depth to trouble top names.

Devika Sihag in action at the Thailand Masters 2026 (Picture Credit – Badminton Photo)

Goh, a former Top 20 but daunted by injury, had played three games in all her four matches, and struggled to move. Devika, whose own on-court movement is work in progress, showed clarity in when to use her big attack and when to vary strokes at the net or stay in the rally.

Perhaps the biggest quality visible in the 20-year-old is how she can fall back on retrieving in crunch moments – something that attack-heavy players tend to be reluctant to do. “This week, I just decided to give my 100 percent and not think of winning or losing. That released pressure and I played freely,” she said after the win.

She had been homesick a few months after she moved to Bengaluru six years back, but coaches like Umendra Rana and Sagar Chopda helped her settle in and see the merits of training at a big centre.

“I miss my home-made rajma chawal, but I enjoy badminton more, and Bngaluru with Irwansyah sir has helped in improving my speed and skills,” she says.

More work needed

In her 6 years away from on-court coaching, Sayali has seen a tremendous change in how consistent women’s singles has gotten, and the pace.

“I think all Indian girls can start getting big results with very small changes. But they need to work on speed and strength because consistency is high on the Tour. Devika needs to stay injury-free. Technically she’s good, but strength has to go up,” she says.

Sayali was mighty impressed with how professional Devika’s pre- (warm-up) and post-match recovery routines and discipline with regard to food was. In Bengaluru, a group of 10 coaches and four support staff tend to the group.

“She retrieves well, but there’s scope for improvement in her court speed. She makes good openings and keeps opponents guessing at the net,” Sayali says.

Devika, whose tall frame helps her with a fluid attack, had struggled to break through due to persistent knee patella issues. She had also been low on confidence this past season as niggles held her back.

Against Goh, Devika executed the simple strategy of making the Malaysian ranked No.68 run plenty, knowing of her discomfort in movement. Devika constantly sent drops to the front court, even serving effectively straight so the shuttle dipped very close to the net. Her winners included straight smashes and cross-drops that Goh couldn’t reach, and though the movement was an impediment, those shots would’ve landed as winners against even quick movers.

Devika has made the most of her height, just like Sindhu, in developing an attacking game which her academy coach Chopda says is a result of a bunch of things coming together. “More consistent and solid aggression in this tournament with a calm and composed attitude. It’s a long time coming – she has finally played to her potential,” he said. The smashes can get even whippier.

Earlier, the rangy shuttler had accounted for World No.16 Supanida Katethong and went on to evict fifth seed Huang Yu-Hsun of Taiwan in the semis. What’s been most notable is her composure in finishing off games.

Chopda recalled a message he had sent her when she was struggling to close out matches last year, a result of her wavering mind and low confidence as she couldn’t bear fellow Indians.

“Stay confident for the next tournament. You’re playing well but losing close matches – just convert one good match and you’ll be back to winning ways,” he had told her.

On Sunday, with Sayali offering calm advice, Devika finally broke through for her first title. Trained as sparring partner for Sindhu, by Irwansyah and Vimal Kumar, Devika will hope to build on this results.