PV Sindhu criticized the scheduling at the China Open 2026 after a grueling three-game loss to Chen Yufei, highlighting that she had only about 16 hours to recover while Chen had more than 24 hours. She suggested the disparity in rest time indicated a bias in how recovery is allocated, posting a pointed remark on social media about the fairness of the tournament’s scheduling. The match itself was a back-and-forth, nearly 90-minute battle in which Sindhu led early but Chen staged a comeback to win 21-16, 20-22, 18-21. The controversy drew additional attention as other Indian players like Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty also exited earlier, underscoring a broader discussion about tournament pacing. Sindhu’s Japan Open triumph the previous week provided further context for her frustration with conditions at the China Open 2026. Taken together, the articles frame Sindhu’s critique as part of a wider debate over equitable rest and fairness in major badminton events between the players.