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New Delhi: Indian badminton’s rising star Tanvi Sharma achieved a major milestone on Sunday by winning her maiden BWF World Tour Super 300 title at the Taipei Open. The 17-year-old defeated Vietnam’s sixth seed Thuy Linh Nguyen 21-16, 21-16 in the women’s singles final to claim the biggest title of her young career.

Tanvi needed just 36 minutes to overcome world No. 21 Nguyen and became the youngest champion in Taipei Open history at 17 years and 222 days. She also became the first Indian women’s singles player to win the tournament since Saina Nehwal’s triumph in 2008.

17-year-old Tanvi Sharma 🇮🇳 goes for gold against Nguyen Thuy Linh 🇻🇳.#BWFWorldTour #TaipeiOpen2026 pic.twitter.com/QUlZuTSRUc

— BWF (@bwfmedia) August 2, 2026

Despite the occasion, Tanvi handled the pressure well and played with confidence throughout the final. She used her deceptive drops, sharp smashes and clever net play to trouble Nguyen from the start. The Indian quickly built an early lead in both games and maintained control despite a few unforced errors.

After winning the first game, Tanvi faced a stronger challenge in the second as Nguyen looked to fight back. However, the youngster stayed composed, continued to dominate rallies and sealed the match with a powerful smash to secure the title.

“I’m really very happy to win this title here,” Tanvi said after the victory. She added that she did not expect to win the tournament but focused on giving her best match by match.

Coached by former PV Sindhu mentor Park Tae-sang, Tanvi shared a special moment after the final when she placed her gold medal around her coach’s neck during the celebrations.

Tanvi’s journey has been built through years of hard work. Her mother Meena Sharma, a former national volleyball player and physical education teacher, played a key role in her early development and helped train her before she moved to the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati.

A former world junior No. 1, Tanvi had already shown her potential by winning two medals at the World Junior Championships and becoming part of India’s historic Asian Team Championships gold-winning squad. Her Taipei Open victory marks another important step in what promises to be a bright badminton career.