PV Sindhu is gearing up for the 2024 Paris Olympics, aiming for an unprecedented hat-trick of Olympic medals after securing silver in Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo 2021. Known for her ability to rise to the occasion in major tournaments, Sindhu’s journey to Paris has been more challenging compared to her previous Olympic campaigns. After clinching gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she was sidelined due to a knee injury, which significantly impacted her form.
Since her return to competition, Sindhu has had a mixed bag of results, with a win-loss record of 15-9. She struggled in the early rounds of several tournaments but also showed flashes of brilliance, such as reaching the final of the Malaysia Masters in May 2024 and nearly defeating long-time rival Carolina Marin in Singapore.
As the badminton events commence on July 27, Sindhu’s Olympic journey begins with a promising group stage draw. She faces Kristin Kuuba of Estonia and Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq of the Maldives—both of whom are significantly lower-ranked. However, Sindhu’s path to a medal won’t be easy, as she may face familiar foes like He Bing Jiao, whom she defeated for the bronze in Tokyo, and reigning Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei in the semifinals. Although their head-to-head record is evenly split, Sindhu might enter the match as the underdog given Yu Fei’s strong form leading up to the Games.
