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PV Sindhu’s bid to win the French Open women’s singles title ended in defeat on Sunday, October 25, 2026, as South Korea’s An Se-young recovered from losing the opening game to win 16-21, 21-11, 21-12. Sindhu started strongly and took the first game 21-16, but the world No. 1 raised her level in the next two games to secure the championship.
The final began with both players trading half-smashes, drops and lifts. Sindhu took an early 2-0 lead, but An responded and moved ahead 4-2 after a series of errors from the Indian. The opening exchanges remained close, with An struggling at times to keep her attacking shots inside the court.
Sindhu found her rhythm as the game progressed. A powerful straight smash helped her draw level at 8-8, and she went into the interval with an 11-9 advantage after a cross-court smash. She continued to put pressure on An, capitalising on errors and extending the lead to 14-11 and then 17-14. Sindhu eventually converted her advantage to win the first game 21-16.
The momentum shifted after the interval between games. An raced to a 3-0 lead in the second game as Sindhu made unforced errors, and the South Korean began to dictate the rallies with quicker movement and sharper placement. An reached the mid-game interval with an 11-7 lead.
Sindhu struggled to contain the pressure as the game continued. An built a 13-8 advantage after winning five consecutive points and later moved ahead 17-8. Although Sindhu collected several points late in the game, An closed it out 21-11 to level the match and force a decider.
Sindhu made an effort to regain control at the start of the third game and moved ahead 8-6. The live coverage described a long rally in which An used lifts, cross-court smashes and drop shots to make Sindhu cover the court. The rally was reported as 36 shots, the longest of the match.
An reached the interval with a narrow 11-9 lead. The South Korean then extended the gap through precise shot placement and consistent pressure. At 18-10, she was firmly in control, and she completed the win 21-12. The final score was 16-21, 21-11, 21-12 in An’s favour.
The result extended An’s winning streak against Sindhu to 11 matches, according to Sportstar’s live report. Before the final, the coverage noted that An had won all 10 of their previous meetings. Sindhu had arrived at the final after a strong run through the tournament, but she was unable to turn her first-game advantage into an overall victory against the reigning world champion.
The match also included a brief moment of sportsmanship in the opening game: after a quick backhand tap near the net hit Sindhu on the head, An immediately apologised, according to the live updates.
For Sindhu, the final was a missed opportunity to end a difficult run against one of women’s singles badminton’s leading players. Her first-game performance showed that she could challenge An in the match, but the South Korean’s response in the second game changed the contest. An’s ability to sustain pressure and limit Sindhu’s opportunities proved decisive over the final two games.
The scoreline also captures the match’s swing: Sindhu won the opener by five points, while An took the second game by 10 and the decider by nine. The supplied live coverage concluded that the title went to An, while Sindhu could take some consolation from having pushed the world No. 1 in the opening game.
This report is based on the match details and live updates supplied from Sportstar’s coverage. Individual rally descriptions and the head-to-head figure are attributed to that report.
