For 17 years, Indian badminton has waited for a women’s singles prodigy to rise on the world junior stage. In Guwahati, that long wait finally ended. Tanvi Sharma, just 16 years old, produced a composed and fearless display to reach the final of the BWF World Junior Championships 2025, defeating China’s Liu Si Ya 15–11, 15–9 in a dominant semifinal performance.
With this win, Tanvi becomes only the third Indian girl ever to reach the World Junior Championships women’s singles final following in the footsteps of Aparna Popat (1996, silver) and Saina Nehwal (2006 silver, 2008 gold). Overall, she is the fifth Indian shuttler to reach the final in the history of the event, joining Siril Verma (2015) and Sankar Muthusamy (2022) in this elite list.
The setting could not have been more fitting. On home soil in Guwahati, the young Junior World No. 1 carried both the crowd and her composure with remarkable poise. Against Liu Si Ya, the Asian Junior Championships silver medallist from China, Tanvi dictated tempo from the very start mixing deceptive drops, tight net play, and controlled aggression. Her shot-making was precise, her footwork unhurried, and her tactical reading of the rallies stood out. For a player barely out of her teens, Tanvi showed the kind of maturity that Indian fans have long associated with the likes of Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu.
The victory was not just a display of talent it was a statement. After 17 years, an Indian women’s singles player will contest the World Junior final, and it’s happening right here at home.
From Chandigarh to the World Stage
Tanvi’s rise has been methodical rather than meteoric. Hailing from Chandigarh, she first made headlines with a gold medal at the 2023 U-17 Asian Junior Championships, where she shared the podium with Thailand’s Anyapat Phichitpreechasak and compatriot Yataweemin Ketkeling.
Fast forward to 2025, and the same trio have found themselves on the World Junior Championships podium a poetic reflection of the new generation of Asian women’s singles stars. Her world No. 1 junior ranking has been backed by consistency and resilience key traits in her ascent through India’s crowded women’s singles field. While the spotlight has often been on India’s doubles resurgence in recent years, Tanvi’s success has rekindled the country’s hopes in women’s singles at the developmental level.
The Semifinal: Composure and Control
Against Liu Si Ya, Tanvi was at her tactical best. The first game saw her open with a flurry of deceptive net flicks, pulling Liu forward before killing the rallies with crisp clears to the backcourt. Her precision forced errors from the Chinese shuttler, who struggled to adapt to Tanvi’s change of pace. Once she sealed the opener 15–11, Tanvi’s confidence only grew. In the second game, her sharp net interceptions and quick transitions left Liu scrambling. The Indian barely looked troubled, closing out the match 15–9 to seal her place in the final and in Indian badminton history.
The straight-games win not only underlined her dominance but also her calmness under pressure a quality rarely seen at her age.
A Legacy to Chase
The magnitude of Tanvi’s achievement cannot be overstated. The last Indian to win the World Junior Championships title was Saina Nehwal in 2008 a tournament held in Pune, where a teenage Saina triumphed in front of home fans. Seventeen years later, another Indian teenager stands on the brink of achieving the same feat, once again on Indian soil. There’s a remarkable generational symmetry at play. When Saina won her title in 2008, Tanvi Sharma hadn’t even been born she came into the world two months later. Today, she carries the same fire and belief that Saina once ignited in a generation of Indian shuttlers.
If Tanvi can go one step further in Guwahati, she would become only the second Indian women’s singles player in history to be crowned World Junior Champion.
The Final Showdown: Tanvi vs. Anyapat
Standing between Tanvi and her dream is Anyapat Phichitpreechasak of Thailand, the current World No. 2 junior. The Thai youngster, like Tanvi, has shown exceptional composure throughout the tournament and enters the final in equally strong form. The two have shared a long rivalry since their U-17 days, where Tanvi had the upper hand in regional tournaments. Both players possess contrasting styles Tanvi thrives on deception and control, while Anyapat relies on consistency, precision, and counterpunching ability.
It’s a final worthy of the stage the top two juniors in the world, meeting in India, with history hanging in the balance.
Tanvi’s run has already secured India’s first medal at the ongoing 2025 BWF World Junior Championships, a welcome boost for the home contingent. But her ambitions clearly go beyond a silver. The way she has dismantled opponents, including Liu Si Ya, suggests she’s peaking at the perfect time. Her poise, discipline, and competitive temperament make her more than just a junior prospect. They make her a glimpse of India’s women’s singles future.
Can she emulate Saina Nehwal and give India its first World Junior Women’s Singles Champion in 17 years?
If her performances so far are any indication the answer might well be yes. Tanvi Sharma stands at the edge of history, ready to carry the baton from Saina and Aparna into a new era of Indian badminton.
Tomorrow in Guwahati, it’s not just about a title. It’s about a teenager born after India’s last triumph, now poised to create her own.
