Early steps: A 10-year-old Sindhu (left) speaks to future doubles star Sikki Reddy at a practice session at the SAAP Centre for Excellence at the Gachibowli Sports Complex in Hyderabad in June 2005. ▲
First of the wins: Sindhu (centre-right) with future Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal (back row, centre) and other winners of the all-India junior ranking badminton tournament in Kochi in June 2005. ▲
Her biggest fans: Sindhu at age 11 with her mother P. Vijaya and father P. V. Ramana, both former volleyball players, during a tournament in Kochi. Sindhu has often credited her parents for her success. Coincidentally, she became world champion on her mother's birthday and dedicated her gold medal to her. ▲
Breaking into the ranks: Sindhu in action during the all-India junior major ranking badminton tournament that she won playing at home in Hyderabad in November 2008. ▲
Under watchful eyes: Under the tutelage of national coach Pullela Gopichand, Sindhu took her first steps in the international arena. Here she participates at the 2011 Asia Youth Under-19 Championships in Lucknow. ▲
Beginnings of a champion: Sindhu with her Malaysian Open gold medal, her first Grand Prix win, in May 2013. ▲
The big moment: The 2016 Rio Olympics silver medal was a defining moment in Sindhu's career. She was also the first Indian to reach a badminton singles final at the Olympics. ▲
Dark before the dawn: Greater things awaited Sindhu. A BWF World Tour Finals medal did not lessen the criticism of losing two World Championship finals. Here she poses with the silver medal after the losing the 2018 World Championships final to old rival Carolina Marin. ▲
Crowing moment: Sindhu stormed into her third consecutive World Championships final, overcoming the likes of Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying and China's Chen Yu Fei on her way. But it was her final performance that left audiences and her critics speechless. Within just 38 minutes, she decimated her opponent and former world champion Nozomi Okuhara 21-7, 21-7 to become the first Indian to win a World Championships gold medal. ▲
