Indian badminton star <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/i-m-happy-to-enter-final-but-job-is-not-done-yet-sindhu-23656773" rel="nofollow">PV Sindhu</a> pushed top-ranked An Se Young to three hard-fought games before finishing as the runner-up in the women's singles final at the French Open 2026 on Sunday.
The two-time Olympic medallist and former world champion ultimately conceded a 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 defeat to the reigning Olympic and world champion during an hour-long battle at the Arena Grand Paris.
World No. 11 Sindhu entered the contest looking for her seventh BWF World Tour crown and her second of the current season following her Japan Open triumph in July. However, the final result stretched her winless streak against the South Korean star to 11 matches.
Sindhu produced a superb opening game, staying toe-to-toe with her opponent before breaking away after the score reached 11-all. Taking full advantage of her reach and superior court placement, the Indian kept the top seed on the back foot to secure the first game.
It marked only the second instance where Sindhu managed to snatch a game off An Se Young across their 11 career meetings. Their previous three-game encounter occurred in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Badminton Asia Championships, where the Indian won the opener before the South Korean fought back to take the match 18-21, 21-5, 21-9.
<h2>An Se Young continues her historic run</h2>
<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/two-time-olympic-medallist-pv-sindhu-faces-tricky-test-against-se-young-at-denmark-open-23654720" rel="nofollow">An Se Young</a> raised her level dramatically in the second game, holding an 11-7 cushion at the mid-game interval before racing ahead to level the match.
Sindhu stayed competitive in the initial phases of the deciding game, but the world No. 1 gradually took charge. The South Korean reeled off six points in a row to establish a 15-9 lead, holding onto her momentum to close out the victory.
The win extended An Se Young's remarkable streak to 50 consecutive matches. She now boasts an extraordinary 66-1 win-loss record in 2026, with the French Open representing her 10th title of the season and fourth career triumph at the event.
Sindhu's final appearance also prolongs India's long wait for a women's singles winner in Paris. Aparna Popat remains the last Indian woman to lift the title in 1998, while <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/japan-open-saina-nehwal-hails-pv-sindhu-after-historic-triumph-23640739" rel="nofollow">Saina Nehwal</a> claimed second place in 2012.
(With inputs from ANI)

PV Sindhu claimed the opening game but eventually fell to world No. 1 An Se Young 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 in the women`s singles final of the French Open 2026


French Open 2026: PV Sindhu loses to An Se Young in the final

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PV Sindhu claimed the opening game but eventually fell to world No. 1 An Se Young 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 in the women's singles final of the French Open 2026


French Open 2026: PV Sindhu loses to An Se Young in the final after thrilling three sets

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