For about twenty minutes on Sunday evening in Paris, it looked like PV Sindhu might finally crack the one puzzle that has beaten her for years. The Indian star won the opening game of the French Open 2026 women's singles final against world No. 1 An Se Young, but the South Korean came roaring back to win 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 in 61 minutes, leaving Sindhu with the silver medal at the Super 750 event on October 25.
It was a bittersweet end to a fine week for the two-time Olympic medallist, who had been fighting for her second Super 750 title of the season.
How the final unfolded
Sindhu started like the Sindhu of old. She attacked early, kept the rallies short and used her reach well at the net. The two were locked at 11-all at the mid-game break, but Sindhu pulled away after the interval to take the first game 21-16. It was only the second time in their rivalry that she had won a game off An.
The Korean, however, is not the world's best player for nothing. She slowed the pace in the second game, dragged Sindhu into long rallies and reeled off a big run of points to take it 21-11. The decider was tight until 9-9, after which An's defence and precision took over. She pulled clear to win 21-12 and keep her French Open crown.
Across the second and third games, An won 42 points to Sindhu's 23, which tells the story of how the final turned.
French Open 2026 final: key facts
| Tournament | French Open 2026 (BWF World Tour Super 750) |
| Venue | Arena Grand Paris, Paris |
| Date | Sunday, October 25, 2026 |
| Winner | An Se Young (South Korea, world No. 1) |
| Runner-up | PV Sindhu (India) |
| Score | 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 (An's score first) |
| Duration | 61 minutes |
| Head-to-head | An Se Young unbeaten in all 11 meetings |
| Sindhu's 2026 title | Japan Open (Super 750), July 2026 |
The road to the final
Sindhu, ranked 11th in the world, had come to Paris after early exits in her previous European events. She turned that around this week, and her semi-final against Japan's Hina Akechi was a test of nerve. The Indian lost the second game but won the last five points of the decider from 16-all to book her place in the final.
Her run in Paris also gave Indian badminton a small piece of history. It was the 10th time this season that an Indian entry reached a final at a BWF World Tour event of Super 300 level or above outside India, breaking the previous record of nine set in 2023.
The An Se Young problem
There is no hiding from the numbers. An Se Young has now won all 11 of her matches against Sindhu. The Korean, the reigning Olympic champion, is younger, quicker around the court and has built her game on relentless retrieval. Even when Sindhu plays well, An finds a way to extend rallies until the Indian's attacking game runs out of steam.
The positive for Sindhu is that this final was far closer than their last meeting at the China Masters in Shenzhen, which An won in straight games in just 38 minutes. Taking a game off the world No. 1 and stretching her to 61 minutes is proof that the gap is narrowing.
What it means for Indian badminton fans
After injuries and a dip in form over the past couple of seasons, Sindhu's 2026 has been a quiet comeback story. She won the Japan Open in July, and the French Open silver is her second podium finish of the year. At an age when many shuttlers start thinking about retirement, she is still reaching the business end of top-tier events.
For young Indian players watching her, the final was a reminder that consistency matters as much as big wins. Sindhu has now shown she can go deep in tournaments again, and that is a good sign ahead of the season-ending events.
What's next for Sindhu
The ranking points from a Super 750 final should help Sindhu climb in the BWF rankings and strengthen her bid for the season-ending World Tour Finals. Her next challenge will be turning these final appearances into titles, and somewhere along the way, finally finding an answer to An Se Young.
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