PV Sindhu clears air on future after Paris Olympics exit, calls R16 loss ‘hardest of her career’

For the first time in her Olympic career, ace India shuttler PV Sindhu returned home without a medal. Having already won two in the past two editions (bronze in Tokyo 2020 and silver in Rio 2016), Sindhu suffered a shocking defeat in the pre-quarters at the Paris Olympic Games 2024, going down in straight games (21-19, 21-14) to China’s He Bingjiao.

With her exit, India’s hopes of clinching a medal in the women’s singles came down crashing; however, Sindhu is not ending her glorious career here, as she vows to return but after a ‘much-needed’ break.

Reflecting on a painful and the ‘hardest loss of her career’, Sindhu took to the social media platform X, clearing the air on her future. 

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"Paris 2024: A Beautiful Journey but a Difficult Loss. This loss is one of the hardest of my career. It will take time to accept, but as life moves forward, I know I will come to terms with it," Sindhu wrote in her post on X.

Meanwhile, Sindhu entered this sporting spectacle overcoming a couple of tough years, where several injuries kept her grounded; however, despite all the challenges, she stood tall and made it to the R16 at her third straight Olympic Games. 

She feels grateful for doing what she loves and takes immense pride in inspiring a generation watching her play at the Summer Games.

"The journey to Paris 2024 was a battle, marked by two years of injuries and long periods away from the game. Despite these challenges, standing here and representing my wonderful country at a third Olympics makes me feel truly blessed," Sindhu said.

"I'm incredibly fortunate to compete at this level and, even more importantly, to inspire a generation. Your messages have been a tremendous source of comfort during this time. My team and I gave everything we had for Paris 2024, leaving it all on the court with no regrets.

"Regarding my future, I want to be clear: I will continue, albeit after a small break. My body, and more importantly, my mind need it. However, I plan to carefully evaluate the journey ahead, finding more joy in playing the sport I love so very much,” she noted.

Sindhu’s tough run

After winning the gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, Sindhu suffered a knee injury a week later, which kept her away from competitive badminton for several months. 

She then failed to reach a tournament final for over a year before she ended her dry run at the Malaysian Open early in 2024.

Meanwhile, at the LA28 Summer Games, Sindhu will be 33. 

(With inputs from agencies)