PV Sindhu advanced to her first-ever Japan Open semi-final on Friday after former world champion Nozomi Okuhara withdrew due to injury ahead of their women’s singles quarter-final at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.The walkover sends the Indian star into the last four of the BWF Super 750 tournament for the first time in her career. Sindhu also became the first Indian women’s singles player in 15 years to reach the Japan Open semi-finals, ending a wait that dates back to Saina Nehwal’s run to the final four in 2011.

Sindhu’s impressive 2026 resurgence continues

The semi-final appearance is another milestone in Sindhu’s impressive comeback season. After beginning 2026 ranked World No. 18, the two-time Olympic medallist has climbed back into the top 10 and currently sits at World No. 9, thanks to a series of consistent performances on the BWF World Tour. This is Sindhu’s third semi-final of the season, having also reached the final four at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 and the Australian Open Super 500.Before benefiting from Okuhara’s withdrawal, Sindhu had displayed excellent form in the round of 16, defeating World No. 5 Han Yue of China 21-16, 21-14 in just 35 minutes.With Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty and the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty already out of the tournament, Sindhu is now India’s sole remaining contender in Tokyo.

Blockbuster semi-final awaits

Sindhu will next face World No. 4 and Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei of China in what promises to be a high-profile semi-final clash. Chen booked her place in the last four with a dominant 21-10, 21-12 victory over South Korea’s Sim Yu Jin.The head-to-head record favours the Chinese shuttler, who leads 8-6 and has won each of their last five meetings. Sindhu’s most recent victory over Chen came at the 2019 BWF World Championships, where she went on to win her maiden world title.