Tanvi Sharma announces her arrival with first BWF World Tour title, becomes youngest winner in tournament's history

The teenager won the final in straight games in Chinese Taipei, making amends after losing three previous finals.

NEW DELHI: Tanvi Sharma has announced her arrival. All the talk about the young shuttler’s talent and skill was on display as she won her maiden BWF World Tour title at the $250,000 Taipei Open on Sunday.

India’s Tanvi Sharma poses with her medal after winning the BWF Taipei Open badminton tournament on Sunday. (Badmintonphoto)

Just 17, Tanvi captured the title after delivering a masterclass against Vietnamese Nguyen Thuy Linh, beating the sixth seed 21-16, 21-16 in 36 minutes at the Taipei Arena. The shuttler from Punjab also cemented her legacy as the youngest winner across any discipline in the tournament’s 46-year history.

This is only the third time that the tournament has seen an Indian victory. Saina Nehwal won the women’s singles in 2008 and Jwala Gutta and V Diju the mixed doubles a year later, during the Grand Prix Gold era.

Coming into the Sunday showdown, Tanvi held the psychological edge of a previous victory over Linh at the 2025 US Open. Despite the immense pressure of having to win a maiden title – she had lost her three previous finals on the World Tour along with the World Junior Championships final last year – Tanvi stepped on the court with poise.

She immediately dictated the tempo in the opening game, surging to a 10-2 advantage. The experienced Vietnamese mounted a resurgence to narrow the deficit to two points (10-8), but Tanvi absorbed the pressure and maintained her lead to close out the first game.

Second game testing her not a little

The second game presented a tougher test of her mental fortitude. Facing an early three-point deficit, Tanvi could have let the momentum slip. Instead, she engineered a remarkable turnaround. Relying on an aggressive, front-foot strategy, she relentlessly moved her opponent across the court with pinpoint cross-court striking and impeccable shuttle placement.

Refusing to let the sixth seed settle into a rhythm, Tanvi flipped the script to build a seven-point cushion at 15-8. She delivered the final blow – a spectacular cross-court drop that left her opponent stranded – and sealed her straight games coronation.

Despite dropping only one game throughout the week, Tanvi was humble at the media interaction. Admitting to battling nerves ahead of the biggest match of her young career, she explained her straightforward mental approach, adding that she simply wanted to give her maximum effort, rely on her established game plan, and play without fear.

Tanvi expressed surprise at her remarkable run. “I’m really very, very happy to win this title here,” she beamed. “I didn’t expect to win a title, but yeah, I just thought I’ll give my best over here. I was going step by step, match by match.”

Acknowledging the physical toll grinding it out across five high-intensity matches over the week takes, she put down her excellent show to focus and consistency.

With her maiden World Tour crown safely in her grasp, Tanvi is aware of the steep climb ahead. Recognising the punishing nature of the tour, she admitted she had to work harder to challenge the sport’s elite at Super 500 and 750 events.

She next plays the Korea Masters from Tuesday.