Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand continued their underdog story and confirmed India’s first medal at the BWF World Championships 2026. It was a performance Treesa and Gayatri can be extremely proud of, as they overcame fourth-seeded Zhang Shuxian and Jia Yifan in their quarter-final. The Indian pair lost the first game but produced a stellar comeback, winning the next two to seal a 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 victory.
Treesa and Gayatri displayed true character in a battle where few had given them a chance before the clash. Zhang and Jia showed throughout why they are among the world’s top five, but the Indian shuttlers refused to let them dictate the contest for long.
The momentum kept shifting like a pendulum, as both pairs fought for control and the crowd stayed firmly behind the Indians. Even when the Chinese pair had the upper hand, Treesa and Gayatri kept finding a way back into the match. What followed was a performance full of belief, composure and fighting spirit. The Indian pair held their nerve when it mattered most, completing a memorable comeback and securing a World Championships medal in front of a roaring home crowd.
It was also pleasing to see a big turnout at the Indira Gandhi Arena for an afternoon match, with two young shuttlers fighting hard to keep India’s medal hopes alive in the women’s category.
From survival to success
{{/usCountry}}It was also pleasing to see a big turnout at the Indira Gandhi Arena for an afternoon match, with two young shuttlers fighting hard to keep India’s medal hopes alive in the women’s category.
From survival to success
{{/usCountry}}Treesa, Gayatri struggled at the start of the first game, allowing the Chinese pair to establish a solid lead. However, with their backs against the wall, Gayatri and Treesa composed themselves and launched a comeback. They fought their way back to 14-16, bringing the packed arena into the contest. The game went down to the wire, with the crowd throwing its full support behind the Indian pair. But in a topsy-turvy battle, the Chinese pair regained control at the crucial stage to take the opening game 21-16.
In the second game, Gayatri and Treesa took an 11-10 lead, moving ahead for the first time in the match. The intensity only grew from there, with powerful smashes coming from the Indian side and the crowd responding to every point. What had started as another uphill battle turned into a fiercely contested game, with the Indian pair showing tremendous composure under pressure. They kept their nerve through the closing stages to win the second game 21-15 and force a decider.
The script didn't change in the third game. The Chinese pair took an early lead, but Treesa and Gayatri quickly fought back to level the scores at 4-4. The Indian shuttlers fed off the loud crowd support and raced to an 8-4 lead, silencing their naysayers. They continued to pull away, reaching the halfway mark with an 11-5 advantage.
They refused to let the momentum slip, dictating the rallies and keeping the Chinese pair under pressure. The Indians soon stretched their lead to 17-9, stamping their authority on the decider. The final few points proved straightforward as the Chinese shuttlers struggled to cope with the mounting pressure, allowing Treesa and Gayatri to seal the game 21-13 and march into the semis.
Deep Dive
How did Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secure India's first medal in the BWF World Championships 2026?
What challenges did Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand face during their quarterfinal match?
Why was the crowd's support significant during the match between Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand and their opponents?
What followed was a performance full of belief, composure and fighting spirit. The Indian pair held their nerve when it mattered most, completing a memorable comeback and securing a World Championships medal in front of a roaring home crowd. It was a win of the highest quality and a moment India can be proud of.
It was pleasing to see a big turnout at the Indira Gandhi Arena for an afternoon match, with two young shuttlers fighting hard to keep India’s medal hopes alive in the women’s category.
The first game was a proper underdog story, with the Indian shuttlers struggling at the start as the Chinese pair established a solid lead. However, when their backs were against the wall, Gayatri and Tereesa managed to calm themselves down and launch a comeback in the middle phase. They fought their way back to 14-16, bringing the packed arena into the contest.
The game went down to the wire, with the crowd throwing its full support behind the Indian pair. But the topsy-turvy battle saw the Chinese pair turn the momentum back in their favour at the crucial stage to take the opening game 21-16.
The momentum stayed with China at the start of the second game as Zhang and Jia raced to a 5-1 lead. Their smashes, drop shots and cheeky flicks were causing plenty of problems early on, but Gayatri and Tereesa slowly started finding ways to counter them.
The Indians refused to let the gap grow and suddenly found themselves back in the contest at 5-6, just a point behind. The comeback continued as they kept putting pressure on their opponents and, at the halfway stage, levelled the score at 10-10.
For the first time in the match, Gayatri and Tereesa then moved ahead, making it 11-10. The intensity only grew from there, with powerful smashes coming from the Indian side and the crowd responding to every point.
What had started as another uphill battle was now turning into a fight for survival, and the Indian pair showed tremendous composure under pressure. They kept their nerve through the closing stages to win the second game 21-15 and force the match into a decider.
The script remained the same in the third game as the Chinese pair took an early lead, but Tereesa and Gayatri quickly made it 4-4 to level the field once again. The Indian shuttlers fed off the loud crowd support and raced to an 8-4 lead, silencing their naysayers. The lead kept getting bigger as they reached the halfway mark with an 11-5 advantage. They refused to let the momentum slip away, continuing to dictate the rallies and putting the Chinese pair under pressure. The Indians soon stretched their lead to 17-9, stamping their authority on the decider. The last few points were a cakewalk for them as the scoreline pressure made the Chinese shuttlers crumble under pressure, and they claimed the final game 21-13.