PV Sindhu heads into the HYLO Open in Saarbrucken, Germany, as the second seed and the leader of a large Indian women’s singles group, two days after a hard fought loss to world number one An Se Young in the French Open final in Paris. The tournament began on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, according to the Badminton World Federation.
Sindhu won the opening game of Sunday’s Super 750 final but could not hold on, losing 21 to 16, 11 to 21, 12 to 21 to the South Korean, The Times of India reported. It was her second Super 750 final of the year after she won the Japan Open in July.
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How PV Sindhu lost the French Open final
Sindhu used her reach and attacking strokes well in a first game that lasted about 20 minutes. Taking that game was significant in itself. It was only the second time she had won a game against An in their 11 meetings, and the Korean has now won every one of those matches, Sportstar noted.
An raced away with the second game 21 to 11 after the score had been level at seven all. In the decider, Sindhu started brightly and went 8 to 5 up, but An levelled at eight all and then pulled clear. Sportstar described An wearing her opponent down on the way to another comfortable game. The second game had turned on a costly spell. The Times of India reported that Sindhu’s errors mounted midway through, allowing An to take nine of the next 10 points and move 17 to 8 ahead. An then earned 12 game points, and Sindhu saved three before the Korean levelled the match. The newspaper said Sindhu also had to deal with a sideways drift in the hall during long rallies, one of which ran to 36 shots.
What Sindhu and An said
Speaking after the match, Sindhu said facing the world number one demands full intensity on every point. “I fought for every point,†she said, according to Sportstar. Looking back at the third game, she felt she “should have maintained the lead†and said that was where the match turned.
An credited a change of approach. She described Sindhu as a strong, aggressive player and said that after being rushed in the first game, she slowed down in the second. “I focussed on my defence,†she said, adding that it helped her find her timing.
An Se Young’s remarkable season
The win gave An her fourth French Open crown and extended her 2026 record to 66 wins and only one loss, according to Sportstar. Her only defeat this year came against China’s Wang Zhi Yi in the All England final, and she has dropped just 11 games across all competitions. The BWF said the Paris victory took her career tally of titles to 48, and quoted her as saying she had focused on her defence after dropping the opener.
On the way to the final, An beat Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara 21 to 12, 21 to 19 in 45 minutes, reaching the title match in Paris for a third straight edition.
Sindhu’s run in Paris
Sindhu’s own semifinal was much tougher. She beat 21 year old Hina Akechi of Japan 21 to 10, 20 to 22, 21 to 16 in a match lasting 73 minutes, their first meeting on the BWF Tour. The two time Olympic medallist had been in good touch throughout the week, and reaching another big final shows she remains a threat to anyone outside the very top of the rankings. Two Super 750 finals in four months, including a title in Japan, suggest her form is moving in the right direction.
The wider Indian picture in Paris was mixed, a Sportstar review found. Ashmita Chaliha produced one of the results of the week by beating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, while the leading doubles pairs of Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, went out early.
Indian challenge at the HYLO Open
Sindhu opens her campaign in Saarbrucken against Prakriti Bharath of the UAE, the BWF said. Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong is the top seed and is placed in the other half of the draw.
India has eight players in the women’s singles main draw. Along with Sindhu, they are sixth seed Unnati Hooda, Aakarshi Kashyap, Devika Sihag, Malvika Bansod, Isharani Baruah, Anmol Kharb and Chaliha. Several have done well this season. Hooda reached the Taipei Open semifinals, Sihag won the Thailand Masters, Chaliha made the Macau Open semifinals, Baruah was runner up at the Vietnam Open and Kashyap was runner up at the Dutch Open, the BWF noted.
For Sindhu, the week in Germany is a quick chance to turn a strong showing into a title. As the second seed, she will hope the confidence from Paris carries over quickly.
Read more on Bharat Stories about PV Sindhu’s Olympic medal journey, Saina Nehwal’s Olympic medal, and the full list of India’s Olympic medal winners.
Featured image photo: Prime Minister’s Office, GODL India, via Wikimedia Commons (an official portrait of PV Sindhu, not taken at the French Open).
FAQ
What was the score in the French Open final?
An Se Young beat PV Sindhu 16 to 21, 21 to 11, 21 to 12 on Sunday, 25 October 2026. Sindhu won the first game.
Has PV Sindhu ever beaten An Se Young?
No. An has won all 11 of their meetings, and Sindhu has taken a game off her only twice.
Who does Sindhu play first at the HYLO Open?
She faces Prakriti Bharath of the UAE in the first round as the second seed.
Sources
- Badminton World Federation, 27 October 2026: HYLO Open preview, seeds and Indian players.
- Badminton World Federation, 26 October 2026: French Open finals report.
- Sportstar, 25 October 2026: final result, head to head record and An’s season.
- Sportstar, 25 October 2026: post match comments from Sindhu and An.
- Sportstar, 26 October 2026: review of Indian results at the French Open.
- The Times of India, 25 October 2026: match report on the final.