PV Sindhu Exits Early from All England Badminton 2025

New Delhi, March 12: Indian badminton star PV Sindhu faced a disappointing first-round exit at the All England Badminton Championship 2025 after losing to South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun in Birmingham on Wednesday. Despite starting strong, Sindhu, ranked World No. 16, lost 21-19, 13-21, 13-21, continuing her struggles at this prestigious Super 1000 tournament.

Sindhu looked dominant in the first game, leading 19-12, but Kim made a strong comeback, saving seven game points before Sindhu managed to win 21-19. However, the momentum shifted in the next two games. Kim controlled the rallies, exploiting Sindhu’s lack of rhythm and movement. With visible taping on her right knee, Sindhu struggled to counter Kim’s precise shots and net play. In the deciding game, Kim maintained her aggressive pace and secured victory in just over an hour. This marks Sindhu’s fourth consecutive early exit at the All England Open since reaching the semifinals in 2021.

Sindhu has been aiming for a fresh start under her new Indonesian coach, Irwansyah Adi Pratama, whom she joined in January 2025. After reaching the India Open quarterfinals, she was sidelined due to a hamstring injury in February. However, her comeback at the All England ended in disappointment. Meanwhile, Malvika Bansod stunned World No. 12 Yeo Jia Min, setting up a second-round clash with third seed Akane Yamaguchi. In men's singles, Lakshya Sen advanced, while HS Prannoy suffered an early exit. The mixed doubles pair Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde put up a tough fight to reach the second round.