PV Sindhu returns to top 10 in badminton rankings after nearly 3 years

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu marked her long-awaited return to the world’s elite top 10 on Tuesday by grinding out a straight-games victory over Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the opening round of the Indonesia Open Super 1000. The 30-year-old Indian held her nerve in a grueling 51-minute encounter to prevail 25-23, 21-16, securing her place in the round of 16 and extending one of badminton’s most lopsided modern rivalries to an overwhelming 21-1 head-to-head record.

The victory neatly bookended a milestone week for Sindhu. When the Badminton World Federation (BWF) released its latest weekly chart on Monday, June 1, Sindhu climbed one spot to occupy the World No. 10 position. It is the first time the former



World Champion has breathed top-10 air in 31 months, having last held the ranking on October 22, 2023. Sindhu’s slide down the global ladder had been fueled by recurring form struggles and a lengthy competitive hiatus following the Paris Olympics, where she pulled out of the remainder of the season to nurse a persistent foot injury.

However, the current season has seen the Indian spearhead rediscover her baseline consistency. Striking a rich vein of form, Sindhu has stitched together a reassuring run of deep tournament brackets, including a semifinal appearance at the Malaysia Masters and a hat-trick of quarterfinal finishes at the Indonesia Masters, Thailand Open, and Singapore Open.