Badminton player PV Sindhu
Image: Mexy Xavier
Before Indonesian Irwansyah Adi Pratama took up the assignment of coaching PV Sindhu in early 2025, he was asked, “Why Sindhu?” Why would a storied badminton coach take on a player who’s going through a title drought, has been saddled with injuries and, at 29, is perhaps running her last mile?
“When I spoke to her, I saw her determination,” says Pratama, who is credited with the rise of former Asian champion Anthony Ginting and former All England champion Jonatan Christie. “And I knew this wasn’t the end—it was the beginning of a new chapter.”
Sindhu herself would probably be the first to admit that she hasn’t had a great run of late. The Paris Olympics in 2024 was the first time in eight years that she didn’t end up on the podium—her 21-19, 21-14 loss to China’s He Bingjiao in the pre-quarters, after levelling up at 19-19 in the first game, “still stings”, she says. The Syed Modi Open in December 2024 is the only BWF World Tour title the former World Champion has won since July 2022. But count her out at your own peril, because when the going gets tough, “you keep grinding, even when there’s no light at the end of the tunnel”, Sindhu tells Forbes India.
“Matches and phases are different beasts. A phase feels heavier—it sits on your shoulders. But I’ve been through both,” she says. “My World Championship journey took five tries. Two bronzes, then two silvers—one of them after losing an absolute battle to Nozomi Okuhara, who’s now a dear friend. I lost 22-20 in the third. That broke me. But I picked myself up, and in 2019, I finally won gold—beating Okuhara 21-7, 21-7. That wasn’t just a win; it was a story of belief—that even from the lowest of lows, you can rise again.”
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Truth be told, with two Olympic medals (in 2016 and 2021) and a World Championship, a feat that hasn’t been matched by any Indian shuttler, Sindhu has precious little to prove. Her exploits on the court have translated into unprecedented brand equity off it. The 29-year-old is the highest-paid female athlete in India in 2024 (according to a Forbes list), earning over ₹60 crore in endorsements in the calendar year. That puts her at No. 17 on the global list led by tennis star Coco Gauff and inhabited by the likes of WNBA phenom Caitlin Clark, Olympic champion golfer Nelly Korda and gymnastics legend Simone Biles. This is the sixth year that Sindhu—who married senior tech executive Venkata Datta Sai in December—has made it to the list.
In January 2025, when leading athleisure brand Puma chose to expand its portfolio into badminton, Sindhu was their “no-brainer” pick. “She pretty much represents what badminton stands for in the country. She changed how we view the sport in India. When you’re building a category ground up, you need someone who already has established visibility and presence because she can then inspire others. She ticked all the right boxes for us,” says Shreya Sachdev, director-marketing of Puma India, which signed a multi-year deal with the shuttler.
Also watch: PV Sindhu on faith, family and the making of a champion
Sindhu says that early in her career, brand decisions were driven more by reach and value. “But, in the last couple of years, I’ve started being very intentional. I now look for brands with strong founders, clear purpose, and values that align with mine,” she adds. Filtering partners now also comes with keeping an eye on her foundation—a high-performance academy in Visakhapatnam, housing nine synthetic courts and a boarding facility for 70, that she wishes to operationalise in early 2026. “I want to work with those who believe in sport, women’s leadership, and creating real change. It’s not just about visibility anymore—it’s about impact,” she adds.
At the back of her mind, though, is what she calls a “burning desire”: LA28. “Absolutely, it’s a goal,” she says. Sindhu knows she would be touching 33 by then, an over-the-hill phase in a sport as physically taxing as badminton. Which is why her immediate targets are to stay healthy, listen to her body and pick the right tournaments—because, “longevity requires wisdom”.
Coach Pratama believes Sindhu still has the firepower for a formidable second coming. All he needs to do is to stoke it with self-belief. “People often say her speed or lateral movement has dipped. While we are always refining her game, I don’t agree [to that],” he says. “Sindhu’s strengths are rooted in three things—height, speed and powerful attack. But more than just physical traits, it’s her mindset. Many players perform well at regular tournaments, but crumble when the stakes are highest. Sindhu thrives under pressure.”
In her early days, coach P Gopichand had once stopped practice at the eponymous Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad and asked Sindhu to stand in the middle of the court and let out a piercing scream. The former All England champion and Dronacharya awardee coach had wanted the youngster to dip into her fire within and drive her game with it. A decade on, the roar still booms.
(This story appears in the 18 April, 2025 issue
of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
