PV Sindhu missed the chance to create history at the Adidas Arena in Paris after losing the Quarter-final of the 2025 BWF World Championship against Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani in a three-set thriller.
The five-time medalist fought hard but was served with heartbreak as she narrowly missed out on what would have been a world record sixth medal.
Wardani, who is the 9th seed, made a roaring start by winning the first game 21-14. However, Sindhu made a strong comeback by taking the game to the decider. The legendary Indian shuttler won the second game with ease by a 21-13 margin.
The third and final set was a much closer affair, with the two players matching each other point by point. Although Sindhu led in the starting phases, Wardani made a strong comeback. At the end, she won four points in a row to seal victory by a 21-16 margin.
PV Sindhu Misses World Record
Sindhu missed out on a sixth medal at the World Championships, which would have made her the most successful female singles player in the competition. Previously, she had five medals, including a gold in 2019 and two silver (2018, 2019) and bronze (2013, 2014) each.
Sindhu’s tally of five medals is the joint most alongside China’s Zhang Ning. A victory today would have secured a medal for the 30-year-old, which would have meant she has the outright most medals by a female player in the singles category.
Had Sindhu secured a semi-final spot, that would have also been her eighth major medal in major competitions alongside her two Olympic medals. This would also have been the most among a player in women’s singles.
Moreover, Sindhu could have also becom the player with the longest gap (12 years) between two medals in the World Championships, as well as the first to win a medal in the competition after securing a second Olympic medal in the women’s singles.