India's Ashmita Chaliha achieved a major career milestone at the French Open 2026 in Paris by defeating three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in straight games during the round of 16. Chaliha, ranked World No. 36, overcame World No. 2 Yamaguchi with scores of 21-19, 21-18 through disciplined tactical execution and effective cross-court placement. Alongside Chaliha, fellow Indian player PV Sindhu also advanced to the women's singles quarter-finals at the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament.
Following her victory over Yamaguchi, Chaliha is set to face Japan's Nozomi Okuhara in the quarter-finals. Okuhara advanced after a demanding 77-minute, three-game match against Thailand's eighth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong. Meanwhile, PV Sindhu secured her place in the last eight and will face Taiwan's Chiu Pin-Chian. Other matches in the tournament draw feature South Korea's World No. 1 An Se-young playing China's Han Yue, and Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani facing Japan's Hina Akechi.
The tournament brought mixed fortunes for other Indian competitors in Paris. Tanvi Sharma was defeated by World No. 1 An Se-young, and Ayush Shetty had to retire hurt during his match against Japan's Kodai Naraoka. For Chaliha and Sindhu, attention now shifts to their respective quarter-final fixtures as the competition enters its decisive stages.
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