Taipei: Indian badminton’s newest sensation Tanvi Sharma scripted history on Sunday by storming to the Taipei Open Super 300 title, becoming the youngest champion in the tournament’s history and only the fourth Indian women’s singles player to win a BWF Super 300+ title.
The 17-year-old from Punjab produced a commanding display in the final, defeating Vietnam’s sixth seed and World No. 21 Nguyen Thuy Linh 21-16, 21-16 in just 36 minutes to clinch her maiden BWF World Tour title.
At 17 years and 222 days, Tanvi eclipsed the previous record held by Taiwanese legend Tai Tzu Ying, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the prestigious tournament. She also became the first Indian woman since Saina Nehwal in 2008 to lift the Taipei Open women’s singles crown.
“I’m really very happy to win this title here,” Tanvi said after her historic triumph. “I didn’t expect to win a title, but I just thought I’ll give my best over here. I was going step by step, match by match. Every match I played really well here.”
Coached by Park Tae-sang, the former mentor of Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, Tanvi displayed remarkable composure throughout the tournament, dropping just one game en route to the title.
The Indian youngster made an explosive start in the final, using deceptive drop shots, sharp net play and powerful cross-court smashes to race to a commanding lead in the opening game. Although Nguyen briefly threatened a comeback, Tanvi regained control with aggressive attacking play to take the first game 21-16.
The second game followed a similar pattern. After trailing early, Tanvi steadily wrested control of the rallies, mixing precision, deception and relentless consistency to open up a comfortable lead before sealing the championship with another dominant 21-16 victory.
“I was quite nervous, but I just thought I will play my 100 percent, what I have in my game,” she said. “It was pretty hard for me as well, playing five matches. But I just needed to be consistent. I have to work harder for playing Super 500 and 750 tournaments. I’ll keep working hard.”
One of the most emotional moments of the evening came during the medal ceremony when Tanvi removed her gold medal and placed it around coach Park Tae-sang’s neck before the two embraced for photographs a gesture reflecting the partnership behind one of Indian badminton’s brightest success stories.
Tanvi’s rise has been nothing short of extraordinary. A former World Junior No. 1, she had already become the first Indian to win two medals at a single World Junior Championships, claiming silver in girls’ singles and bronze in the mixed team event. She was also part of India’s historic Asian Team Championships gold medal-winning squad.
The teenager had announced herself on the senior circuit by finishing runner-up at the 2025 US Open Super 300, besides reaching the finals of the Odisha Masters Super 100 and Guwahati Masters Super 100.
Behind the meteoric rise lies years of sacrifice by her family. Her mother, Meena Sharma, a physical education teacher and former national volleyball player, learnt badminton herself to coach Tanvi during her formative years in Hoshiarpur. The youngster’s gruelling 4 a.m. training sessions eventually paved the way for her move to the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati, where she began training under Park Tae-sang.
