Sindhu Hails Teenager Tanvi Sharma After Historic Taipei Open Triumph

CHENNAI: Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu hailed 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma after the Indian shuttler became the youngest player to win the Taipei Open, saying the title marked the beginning of what she expected would be a successful career.

Tanvi captured her maiden BWF World Tour Super 300 title on Sunday with a commanding 21-16 21-16 victory over Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Linh in the women’s singles final, wrapping up the contest in just 36 minutes.

The triumph made Tanvi the youngest champion in the tournament’s history across all categories and only the second Indian woman after Saina Nehwal, who won the title in 2008, to lift the Taipei Open crown.

“Couldn’t be prouder of this girl,” Sindhu wrote on X.

“I’ve been saying for years that Tanvi has all the ingredients to become a very special player. The talent, the stroke-making, the courage to take on the best, it’s all there.”

“This is just the beginning, Tanvi. Keep working, keep believing, and stay hungry. Indian badminton has a very bright future ahead of it with players like you.”

Tanvi’s victory ended India’s 17-year wait for a women’s singles title at the tournament and delivered the country’s third overall Taipei Open title, following Jwala Gutta and V. Diju’s mixed doubles triumph in 2009.

The title is the biggest of Tanvi’s career after runner-up finishes at last year’s U.S. Open and the Odisha Masters and Guwahati Masters Super 100 events.

She also became only the fourth Indian woman, after Saina Nehwal, Sindhu and Devika Sihag, to win a BWF Super 300 or higher-level singles title, underlining her emergence as one of India’s brightest badminton prospects.