New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS): After her gorgeous wedding in Udaipur, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has shifted her focus to the competitive circuit and is approaching the new season with "new goals" and a "new life". Sindhu, who tied the knot with Hyderabad-based businessman Venkata Datta Sai in a private ceremony in Udaipur last month, will be in action at the India Open, a BWF Super 750, starting on Tuesday, which will be her first tournament after her marriage.
"It's a new year, so new goals, new life, new phase, so I am really looking forward to it. It's the first tournament for me (after marriage and in the new season), and it's on the home ground. I missed this tournament (India Open) last year due to an injury. I am looking forward to the start, and I hope I do well," Sindhu told IANS on the sidelines of the pre-tournament press conference on Monday.
The Hyderabad-based shuttler won the India Open in 2017 (a BWF Super Series tournament at the time) and was the runner-up in the following year. She has since then reached the semifinals of the tournament in 2019 and 2022. She made a first-round exit in 2023 and missed the Super 750 event last year due to an injury.
Further speaking about the crowd support from local fans, Sindhu said, "There's always been the support from the crowd, and I hope fans support me here, and with their support, I do well in the tournament."
As Sindhu is set to begin her first tournament of the year against the young Indian Anupama Upadhyaya, she heaped praises on the young crop of talents.
"There is a lot of potential, I can say that. There are a lot of youngsters who are coming up and also doing well. Of course, I am playing an Indian in the first round (of India Open), and on the court, it's just an opponent, and you can't take it easy," she said.
The 29-year-old Indian ace, who won the Syed Modi International crown to end a two-year-long title drought last month, also recently broke ground for her very own sports academy in Visakhapatnam.
Sindhu had a challenging phase after her gold medal win in women’s singles at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Struggling to regain her form following an injury layoff, she encountered a series of early exits that saw her drop out of the top 10 world rankings in March 2023—a position she had maintained since November 2016.
Adding to her woes, Sindhu missed the chance to secure a three-peat of Olympic medals after being eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics.