Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu on Monday penned a note after losing at the US open 2023 quarterfinals against the Republic of China's Gao Fang Jie and said that the defeat left a profound 'emotional impact' on her.
Sindhu credited Gao for comprehensively defeating her during the 22-20, 21-13 straight-game loss in Iowa.
In a long post on Twitter, Sindhu wrote, "My US Open journey came to an end in the quarterfinals, where I faced the talented Gao Fang Jie. Despite having previously defeated her in Canada, she outplayed me in straight sets this time, making effective use of my weaknesses. I must commend her for being fully prepared and delivering an impressive performance. Next time I face you Gao, should be a battle. Good luck for the finals, continue playing like how you are and the title should be yours."
Moreover, the two-time Olympic medalist vowed to use the disappointment as a turning point and make the rest of the year 'remarkable'.
She said, "This loss has left a significant emotional impact on me, especially considering the challenging and demanding year I've had. It's disheartening to experience a disappointing defeat after each successful tournament. However, I am determined to channel my emotions into redoubling my efforts and making the remainder of the year truly remarkable."
Sindhu further said that she has been uplifted by how her compatriot Lakshya Sen turned his season around following a disappointing start. After going through a tough phase, Sen won the Canada Open and entered into the semis of the US Open this month.
The badminton ace also added in a tweet, "I want to express my genuine happiness for Lakshya, who has been performing exceptionally well despite the difficulties he has faced. Witnessing his strong performances has been truly inspiring. As I look ahead, I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming competitions in Korea and Japan. I will continue to push forward, driven by the unwavering support and encouragement of Indian fans everywhere I go. Your support means the world to me, and I am deeply grateful for it."
The defeat at the US Open was the most recent in a string of defeats that PV Sindhu has experienced this year.
This year, PV Sindhu has failed to claim a BWF World Tour victory. She competed in the Madrid Masters final but lost the match. The Korea Open begins on Tuesday, and she has a challenging draw.
The Indian did reach the quarterfinals in the US Open while also reaching the semifinals at the Malaysia Masters and Canada Open, but the rest of the results have been dismal. In each of the previous seven BWF World Tour competitions Sindhu has participated in this year, she has been unable to go past the second round. Five of them lost in the first round.
PV Sindhu dropped out of the top 10 in the women's singles badminton rankings as a result of her recent poor performance. The defending Commonwealth Games champion must quickly regain her fitness after the badminton qualification period began on May 1 in order to qualify for the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2016.
