PV Sindhu's husband, a sports buff, is now her trusted sounding board

PV Sindhu has an extra pair of eyes watching her game, and they belong to someone who knows her better than most. Her husband, Venkata Sai Datta, is a sports enthusiast who follows her matches closely, travels with her for tournaments and is never hesitant to share his views. He might not be part of her formal coaching set-up, but his observations from outside that circle have become an important sounding board for the two-time Olympic medallist.

Since their marriage in December 2024, Datta has become increasingly involved in Sindhu's professional journey. He understands the demands of elite sport and, more importantly, is comfortable telling her what he thinks she could have done differently. Datta has also played a significant role in bringing together her current support team.

He even found himself in the coaching box during the Australian Open earlier this year, an unusual role for a husband accompanying his wife on tour. But for Sindhu, it was another way of making the most of his understanding of sport. Someone watching from the outside, she believes, can sometimes pick up things that a player misses in the heat of competition. And Datta, who follows sport closely, has become one of those voices she values.

"He has played a major role in getting the entire team together and making things work. I'm lucky in a way that my parents are very supportive, and now my husband has also got into this," Sindhu said during a media interaction organised by the Badminton Association of India on Tuesday. Screengrab from PV Sindhu/X

"He travels with me for some of the tournaments, but I think he also understands sport and what you're going through, especially when you're really low. As a partner, you need someone who understands sport and what you're going through. Sometimes, if he feels I'm making mistakes, he tells me what he thinks and shares his opinions."

Sindhu said her husband's inputs have helped identify aspects of her game that she might not necessarily notice while competing.

"It's always nice to get inputs from someone observing your matches from the outside. When you're on court, you might not know certain things, but people watching from the outside can see a lot more. His opinions definitely help because he tells me when I make a few mistakes," she said.SMART DECISIONS WITH TRUSTED TEAM

Sindhu has also made significant changes to her support structure, bringing together specialists to manage her fitness, recovery and on-court preparation. Her current team includes strength and conditioning coach Wayne Lombard, physiotherapist Shreyasi Sanjay, Heera Mundluru and Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama. At the Centre for Excellence in Bengaluru, head coach Vimal Kumar oversees the training programmes.

"Obviously, I've been playing the sport for a very long time, and I've had my experiences. I've put together a new team, including my strength and conditioning coach Wayne Lombard, Shreyasi, my physiotherapist, Heera and, of course, my coach Irwansyah," she said.

The emphasis has been on making informed decisions about her workload and ensuring that she does not compete unless she is physically ready.

"We make sure we take smart decisions about which tournaments to play and how my body is feeling. Every single day, we analyse whether I'm feeling good and whether I'm at 100 per cent," she added.

The changes have coincided with an encouraging season for Sindhu, who has been working her way back into contention after a difficult period marked by injuries and inconsistent results.

Sindhu, on Monday, returned to the top six in the women's singles rankings after nearly four years. She also qualified for the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals for the first time since 2022.

She began the year with a semi-final appearance at the Malaysia Open and followed it up with another last-four finish at the Australian Open. Her biggest breakthrough came at the Japan Open in July, where she defeated three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in the final to claim her first World Tour title since December 2024.

Sindhu continued to produce encouraging results during the European swing. She reached the French Open final in October, where she lost to world No. 1 An Se-young in three games. A week later, she won the Hylo Open in Germany, defeating Denmark's Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt 21-12, 21-14 in the final. She won all five matches at the tournament in straight games.

For Sindhu, the biggest takeaway from the season has been the confidence that she can continue pushing herself and competing at the highest level.

"I'm happy to be back in the top six again. I've been working on myself and my game, and my whole team has come together. We have a really good team now. The support has been very, very important, guiding you at the right time and making sure your body is 100 per cent," she said.

She also acknowledged the importance of having people who understand the demands of an athlete's life beyond the court.

"People see just what happens on court, but there is so much that goes on behind the scenes. It's important that your support staff understand what you're going through, not just on court but also off it. It's not easy, but it's important to work as a team. I'm very grateful to have an amazing team," she said, adding that her family, in-laws and husband had been equally supportive," she said.

Sindhu, who has opted out of the Korea Open this week, will take a couple of weeks break before beginning training for the BWF World Tour Finals, with an eye on Syed Modi Super 300 in Lucknow towards the end of this month.- Ends