PV Sindhu loses to Chen Yufei in three sets in Asian Games 2026 quarter-final

PV Sindhu ended her women's singles campaign at the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday, August 13, 2026, after losing 21-11, 18-21, 10-21 to China's Chen Yufei in the women's singles quarter-final. The match took place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Sindhu got off to a brilliant start, winning the opening game 21-11 without much resistance from her Chinese opponent. The Indian shuttler looked sharp from the first point and appeared to be heading towards a straight-games victory. However, Chen Yufei responded strongly in the second game. She gradually closed the gap and eventually levelled the match at 1-1 with a 21-18 win, gaining her first real foothold in the contest. The deciding game proved to be the turning point. A marathon 122-second rally unfolded early in the third game, one of the longest exchanges of the match, and Chen appeared to seize control of momentum from that point on. She never let it go, pulling away steadily to close out the match 21-10 and complete the comeback. The defeat ends Sindhu's singles campaign at the Games. Her dominant start ultimately proved insufficient to secure a place in the last four. It marks a below-par finish for one of India's most successful shuttlers. PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, exits the tournament at the quarter-final stage. Chen Yufei advances to the women's singles semi-finals at the Asian Games 2026.