India Open badminton: PV Sindhu loses- excessive reliance on defence is not the way forward

What is confounding in her team's thinking is how she plans to protect against injuries by playing a brutally taxing defensive game

PV Sindhu. (PTI Photo)

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PV Sindhu left the tournament the same way she had left last year – losing to Thai lefthander Supanida Katethong, except the 21-14, 22-20 loss this year came in Round 1. The slow courts were bound to see the Thai southpaw suck the speed out of Sindhu’s strokes, and she additionally lured the Indian favourite to the net where she confidently killed off her rather confusing exchanges.

Coached by Korean Kim Ji-hyun, who was familiar with Sindhu’s game, Supanida had pin point instructions coming her way – first to slow down the game and take the punch out of strokes, and later to test Sindhu defensively.

It’s been a persistent problem with Sindhu, where her defensive solutions to cleverly pace manipulating players like the Thai, end up leaving her neither here nor there when an all-out attack could have been a better option. That sort of aggression and attack comes naturally to her, than the long grinding rallies, but for some reason, Sindhu enters the defensive labyrinth and then seems lost trying to push the pace nearing the end of the set when it’s too late.

Indian badminton player PV Sindhu plays against Thailand’s Supanida Katethong at the India Open 2023, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan)

On Tuesday at the KD Jadhav hall too, Sindhu was troubled by the southpaw’s angles, though she played a completely different game than last year, when she had rained down jump smashes on the Indian. Today she went for the other extreme – utterly slow drops and tosses, even as Sindhu appeared listless in her movement, barely committal to the defensive work rate that was needed if she was going to wait for who-blinks-first.

By the time she went on the offensive in the second, keeping pace with Supanida, the task had become too onerous and she was seconds away from an early exit, which put pressure on her.

Soon after her Delhi loss, Sindhu had beaten the Thai at Lucknow at the Syed Modi, by playing a thoroughly aggressive game. Her efforts to prop up her defense – though helping bolster her rally construction — are never going to fetch her wins. This when what she needs is short, crisp attacking play, with preferably an increase in speed.

However, her excessive reliance on defense, citing the toll the years have taken on her body, is incongruent with the gamestyle she should try to build — an attacking game that reduces match durations.

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What is confounding in her team’s thinking is how she plans to protect against injuries by playing a brutally taxing defensive game as defensive games tend to be.

Against Supanida all those questions came rushing back, as Sindhu finds herself on the crossroads. Her repertoire of strokes has broadened, her movement is smoother thanks to coach Park. But the unflinching dependence on defense as a style of play isn’t quite working out.

Having said she is keen on focussing on the Sudirman Cup to peak, Sindhu gets some time to go back to the drawing board. But her team will need to make up their minds on the defensive conundrum because at her core, she is a blazing attacking shuttler.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More