India’s badminton star PV Sindhu missed the All England Open when rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupted flight operations across the region.

The two-time Olympic medalist opted to skip the tournament to recover from a stressful travel incident that left her stranded in Dubai for several days.

Once again, she has taken an unexpected decision to withdraw from the Swiss Open 2026, just days after returning to India.

PV Sindhu had to skip the All England Open and was stuck in Dubai for 3 days due to disrupted flight operations across the Gulf region. It was a very stressful experience for Sindhu, and she tried to stay calm in this tough situation.

“There was a lot of stress. And it was scary. I think the only thing was to stay calm. I know that's not the ideal situation where you say we are calm, but we're not inside,” Sindhu said.

PV Sindhu also said she would not want to face this type of challenging situation again. She wants to spend some time with her family after all the chaos.

Adding to her statement, she said, “I hope it's the first and the last experience like this.”

Sindhu reached Dubai on February 28 and was supposed to travel to Birmingham for the All England, which took place from March 03 to March 08, 2026.

But several airspaces were temporarily closed at that time, halting all the operations at one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs.

BAI Secretary Sanjay Mishra also Confirmed Withdrawal by PV Sindhu

Now, after the All England Open, Sindhu will not be seen in the Swiss Open as well. After what she has faced recently, she needs some time to recover.

Sanjay Mishra, secretary of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has also confirmed the news.

“She is not playing at the Swiss Open. We all know what she went through in Dubai; she couldn't travel to Birmingham. So she has sought some time to recover from it,” Mishra said.

PV Sindhu was not in action during the All England and is now in the Swiss Open. The next big tournament where we can see her could be the Badminton Asia Championships in April. After a short break with her family, she is likely to make a comeback to the court.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi