New Delhi, Aug 2026 : India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand ended their remarkable run at the World Championships with a historic bronze medal after losing to defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China in a fiercely contested women’s doubles semifinal in New Delhi on Saturday.
The Indian pair, who had captured the imagination of the home crowd throughout the tournament, went down 21-18, 13-21, 8-21 against the top-seeded Chinese combination. Although the defeat ended their hopes of reaching a maiden World Championships final, Treesa and Gayatri secured a medal that will be remembered as one of the most significant achievements in Indian women’s doubles badminton.
Their bronze is India’s first women’s doubles medal at the World Championships in 15 years. The last Indian pair to achieve the feat was Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, who won bronze in 2011.
For Treesa and Gayatri, the achievement carries added significance because of the difficult period they endured before arriving at the tournament. Treesa’s ankle injury earlier this year forced her to remain out of competitive action for nearly three months. The duo therefore entered the World Championships without the kind of sustained match practice and momentum usually required to make a deep run in a major tournament.
Yet, playing on home soil, they produced one of the biggest performances of the championship.
Their breakthrough came in the quarterfinals, where they stunned fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian. The victory not only earned them a place in the semifinals but also assured India of a historic medal. They entered the last four with hopes of becoming the first Indian women’s doubles pair to reach a World Championships final.
Standing between them and that historic opportunity, however, were the formidable Liu and Tan, the defending champions and top seeds.
The semifinal began with Treesa and Gayatri feeding off the tremendous support inside the packed arena. The Indians raced to a 4-1 advantage, displaying attacking intent and forcing the Chinese pair to defend under pressure.
Liu and Tan, however, quickly demonstrated why they are the world’s leading combination. They fought back to reduce the deficit to 5-7 before a net error from the Indians helped them draw level at 7-7. The Chinese then moved ahead 8-7 and began exploiting errors in the Indian game.
Liu and Tan established an 11-7 advantage at the interval, leaving Treesa and Gayatri needing to find another gear.
The Indians responded brilliantly after the break. Their play around the net became more precise, while Treesa began dictating exchanges from the backcourt. A 31-shot rally won by the Indians underlined their determination, and they gradually reduced the deficit.
The Chinese briefly restored control at 16-13, but Treesa and Gayatri refused to surrender. They fought back to level the game at 16-16, producing a series of fast exchanges and exhausting rallies that had the home crowd roaring.
When Liu and Tan moved 18-16 ahead, the Indians produced their best badminton of the game. Their court coverage and placement improved dramatically as they won successive points to take the lead and eventually secure game point.
With chief coach Pullela Gopichand urging them to remain composed from the sidelines, Treesa and Gayatri held their nerve to take the opening game 21-18.
The Chinese pair, however, responded strongly in the second game. They established an early 5-2 lead, but the Indians gradually worked their way back. Treesa and Gayatri displayed patience and defensive resilience to close the gap and eventually level the contest at 10-10.
They then edged ahead 11-10 at the interval, raising hopes of a straight-game victory.
The second game, however, turned decisively in China's favour after the change of ends. A marathon 49-shot rally went to Liu and Tan, giving the Chinese duo renewed momentum. They followed it by producing a five-point burst that carried them to a 17-12 advantage.
The defending champions maintained their composure and closed out the game 21-13, forcing the semifinal into a decider.
The final game began with both pairs locked at 2-2, but Liu and Tan soon began to impose their physical and tactical superiority. They opened a 6-2 lead and continued to control the pace.
Treesa and Gayatri briefly threatened a comeback with clever net play, reducing the deficit, but the Chinese pair remained relentless. Liu and Tan reached the interval with an 11-5 advantage.
After the change of sides, the gap widened further. The Chinese pair moved to 15-5 and effectively took the contest away from the Indians. Treesa and Gayatri continued fighting, but every attempt to launch a comeback was immediately countered.
Liu and Tan eventually sealed the deciding game 21-8 to book their place in the final.
Despite the defeat, Treesa and Gayatri leave the championship with their reputation significantly enhanced. Their bronze represents a major milestone for Indian badminton and provides renewed hope for the future of women’s doubles.
For a pair that arrived after injury setbacks and limited momentum, their run in New Delhi was nothing short of extraordinary. The historic medal, secured in front of a passionate home crowd, marks the biggest achievement of their careers and could serve as a foundation for an even stronger partnership in the years ahead.
