New Delhi: Indian badminton star PV Sindhu has seen a significant drop in her ranking, falling to world No. 17 in the latest women’s singles BWF rankings released on Tuesday. The two-time Olympic medalist was previously ranked No. 12 in the standings.
PV Sindhu, who has been a consistent presence in the top 16 of the women’s singles rankings since January 2013, has experienced a challenging season so far. The 27-year-old started the 2023 season as the world’s No. 7 player but has slipped down the list due to a string of poor performances.
Sindhu’s struggles began after her comeback from a long injury layoff following her gold medal win at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. Her return to action at the Malaysian Open and Indian Open resulted in early exits, with Sindhu failing to progress past the first round in both tournaments.
While she was part of India’s bronze medal-winning team at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship 2023 in February, Sindhu’s overall form has been inconsistent. Out of the 11 BWF World Tour competitions she has participated in this year, she has suffered first-round defeats in five events and second-round exits in two others.
The highlight of Sindhu’s season so far was her final appearance at the Madrid Masters. However, her recent performance at the US Open ended in the quarterfinals. Currently competing in the Korea Masters, Sindhu will be looking to regain her form and improve her ranking.
Saina Nehwal, another Indian Olympic medalist, also witnessed a drop in the rankings, falling five places to 36th in the women’s singles category. Nehwal has faced her own challenges with injuries and form throughout the year.
Among other Indian shuttlers, Aakarshi Kashyap (42), Malvika Bansod (45), and Ashmita Chaliha (49) feature in the top 50 of the women’s singles rankings.
In the men’s singles category, HS Prannoy, who clinched his maiden BWF World Tour title at the Malaysia Masters in May, remains India’s top-ranked player but dropped two spots to 10th. Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen, the Canada Open champion, is positioned in 12th place, and Kidambi Srikanth maintains his 20th-place ranking.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty hold onto their world No. 3 ranking in men’s doubles. However, in women’s doubles, the pairing of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly slipped to 19th place.
Rohan Kapoor and N. Sikki Reddy lead the Indian mixed doubles category, ranking 35th globally.
PV Sindhu and her fellow Indian shuttlers will be aiming to regain their form and climb up the rankings as they continue their journey on the international badminton circuit.
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