BWF World Championships 2026: Familiar foe, fresh battle: PV Sindhu braces for Wang Zi Ying showdown, says 'you can’t expect easy points'

Former world champion PV Sindhu knows she will have little room for error when she takes on familiar opponent Wang Zi Ying of China in the third round of the BWF World Championships 2026, but the Indian star is ready for the challenge. Sindhu, seeded ninth, moved into the third round with a 21-16, 21-17 win over Canada's Zhang Wen Yu on Wednesday. She will now face Wang, an opponent she has played several times before, with both players well aware of each other's game.

“It will be difficult, obviously. There won't be any easy matches. When we are playing with top athletes, we can't expect easy matches or easy points,” Sindhu said after her second-round win. “We have to be prepared for long matches. I am ready for it. I have played against Wang Zi a lot of times. Of course, I have played against her. We know each other's game. I need to give my best and play my game.”

Sindhu, who also reflected on her experience of playing at the World Championships, said she is hoping to produce another strong result but knows she will have to remain switched on throughout the contest. “I am hoping for a good result this time as well. I need to be prepared for everything. When you are playing against a top athlete, you can't expect easy points. You need to be prepared for those long rallies and long games,” she said. “You need to be consistent every single time. Every point matters. You can't give easy points away. I hope I give my best and be on the winning side.”

The Indian did acknowledge that she made some unforced errors against Zhang, but felt she was able to rectify the problems during the match. She also pointed to the changing court conditions as a factor. “Today, I felt the court was different from the first day. According to my understanding, there were some unforced errors where I was hitting side outs. That's what I felt. But then I rectified and came back after 11 points in the second set as well,” Sindhu said. “I maintained it and consistently I was getting points. Going into tomorrow's match, I need to focus on playing my best, playing a safe game and being consistent.”

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For the 31-year-old, managing her body and recovery has become an increasingly important part of competing at the highest level. Sindhu believes athletes need to understand that their bodies may not always match what their minds are demanding from them. “I think recovery plays a very major role. Back then, when you were in your 20s, you could play and come back. You could keep going on and on. But after a certain time, you also need to understand. You are not 20 or 19 anymore. You need to understand your body and accordingly, smartly make those changes,” she said.

“Today, you might play 80% tomorrow. The next day, you might play 50%. That is okay. It depends on your body. Your mind might say, I can do it. But your body might not be able to support you that way.” Sindhu stressed that sports science has become an important part of managing the demands of a long season, particularly when players have to recover quickly between gruelling matches. “That is when you accordingly make sure you see how your strain is, how your energy levels are and accordingly keep changing. That is when I feel sports science comes into picture,” she said.

“I think that is very important for an athlete because you need to be able to manage. We have a number of tournaments. To pick and choose smartly what needs to be done. Immediately after those long matches, how do you recover faster for the next match? These are the aspects we need to focus on and be prepared.”

For Sindhu, the key will be to leave mistakes behind and immediately shift focus to the next point. “It is completely okay if you make mistakes. Coming back immediately to the next point or knowing what your mistake is and accordingly discussing with your coach and coming back and focusing on the next point is important,” she said. “Because what has gone, has gone. You need to focus on what is next.”

Sindhu also clarified her observation about the court conditions, saying the drift appeared to have changed compared to her opening-round match on Monday. “On Monday, I think the drift was on the other side is what I felt. Today, it was a little bit on the other side. That is what I felt personally. That is my personal opinion.”