100 of the Most Influential Women in Sport >> Athletes

P.V. Sindhu, India

Badminton

P.V. Sindhu began playing badminton at the age of eight, and winning titles not long after. When she started off, she needed to travel 36 miles every day to go for coaching camps, the sort of work ethic that becomes legendary when success arrives. And that success came quickly – Sindhu rose through the ranks winning tournaments and awards at just about every age category, and at 16, she served notice of her prodigious talent by stunning then-reigning Olympic gold medalist Li Xuerui at the 2012 China Masters. A year later, she became the first Indian women’s singles player to win a medal at the badminton World Championships. So it should have come as no surprise when, in 2016, she carved out a slice of history for herself by becoming India’s youngest-ever podium finisher in an individual event at the Olympics. Though that moment ended in heartbreak, as she lost the final to Carolina Marin – the beginning of one of badminton’s great modern rivalries – it was still a seminal triumph. It was the first time any Indian shuttler had reached an Olympic final, and it instantly made her one of India’s biggest stars. Her star has only grown since then. In 2018 Sindhu was the only Indian in the top 10 of Forbes’ list of highest-paid sportswomen in the world, and the only sportsperson overall in Forbes India’s inaugural “tycoons of tomorrow” list. Oh, and she ended the year by becoming the first Indian to win the World Tour title. Now, it’s all eyes on 2020 and Tokyo.

– Sindhu has a role with her state government – she’s a Deputy Collector for the Andhra Pradesh revenue office.

– At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Sindhu won the silver medal.

– Sindhu is also pursuing an MBA degree alongside her badminton career.

Did you know…

Both of Sindhu’s parents played professional volleyball, with father P.V. Ramana a member of the India team that won bronze at the 1986 Asian Games.

“The most striking feature in Sindhu’s game is her attitude and the never-say-die spirit.” – coach Pullela Gopichand

Twitter: @Pvsindhu1

Instagram: pvsindhu1