PV Sindhu faces An Se Young in BWF French Open 2026 final: 11th meeting, first chance at history

Paris – The BWF French Open 2026 is heading to a conclusion that the numbers have been building toward for years. PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist from India, will face An Se Young, the world No. 1 and reigning world champion, in the women's singles final on October 25 at 11 am local time at the Grand Paris Arena. According to Khel Now, this will be the 11th career meeting between the two players, and Sindhu has never beaten the South Korean in 10 previous matches. The BWF French Open 2026 is a Super 750 tournament on the BWF World Tour, held at the Grand Paris Arena. For Sindhu, this is her first final appearance in the tournament. She won the Japan Open in July, so this is her second Super 750 final of the season. A win would give her a second title in 2026 and her first victory over An Se Young. Sindhu reached the final by defeating Japan's Hina Akechi 21-10, 20-22, 21-16 in a 73-minute semi-final on October 24. Sindhu dominated the first game, lost the second after a late lead, and recovered in the decider, winning six consecutive points after trailing 16-15 to close out the match. An Se Young comes into the final as the two-time defending champion. She has lost only one match all season, to Wang Zhi Yi in the All England Open final in March. Since then, she has won the Singapore Open, Denmark Open, Indonesia Open and China Masters on the BWF World Tour, along with gold at the World Championships, Asian Championships and Asian Games. She has won six of the seven tournaments she has entered in 2026. The head-to-head record between Sindhu and An Se Young is one-sided. In 10 meetings, An Se Young won all 10. They have already met twice this season, at the Indonesia Open and Singapore Open, with An Se Young winning both in straight games. But Wang Zhi Yi proved this season that An Se Young can be beaten, and Sindhu will look to that performance as a reference point. Sindhu said: 'I have to give her a good fight, a tough fight. Every point matters. I know we've played a lot of times and she's been doing really well. She's been at her top form. But I think tomorrow is a different day. Every day is a new day. I just have to go out there and give my best. Rest just decides on that particular day. So yeah, I'm ready to give a fight.' The final will be played on Sunday, October 25, at 11 am local time (3:30 pm IST) at the Grand Paris Arena.