New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Rising Indian shuttler Tanvi Sharma says she needs to sharpen her net play as she targets bigger BWF events in future, but her immediate goal is to clinch the Asian Junior and World Junior Championships titles this year.

The 16-year-old from Punjab became the youngest Indian to reach a BWF World Tour final when she finished runner-up at the US Open Super 300 last month.

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“It was an amazing week for me. I am happy about it. But now I am focusing on my other tournaments. I am hoping to do my best in 500 and 750 events as well,” Tanvi told PTI in an interview.

“I think that week, I was very aggressive in my game. My movement was very fast and my smashes were very good. That motivated me a lot.”

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Tanvi didn't take long to make an impression after picking up badminton from her volleyball-playing mother Meera, who learned coaching basics to train Tanvi and her elder sister Radhika. She became U-15 and U-17 national champion before finishing runner-up in U-19 nationals in 2022.

Last year, the bubbly youngster won silver at the Asian U-15 Junior Championships in China, clinched the Kotak India International title, and ended the year with a runner-up finish at the Senior Nationals in Guwahati.

At just 15, Tanvi was part of India's gold medal-winning women's team at the Badminton Asia Team Championships and was also the youngest member of the Uber Cup squad in Chengdu earlier this year.

She is confident about her chances at the upcoming Asian Junior Championships in Indonesia from July 18-22 and the World Junior Championships to be held in Guwahati from October 13-19.

“I am confident about the Asian Juniors and World Juniors. The world juniors are happening in Guwahati at the national centre where I practise. So I am a bit confident and will play my best there, hoping for a medal,” said the Hoshiarpur-born shuttler.

“For me, these two junior tournaments are the main focus. After that, I will stop playing juniors and focus on 500 and 300 events in seniors.”

Tanvi said her US Open final run has given her belief that she can compete against the world's best.

“I think I can do it. It's not hard for me. But I have to improve my net game and I am focusing on that now.”

Reflecting on her learnings, she said: “In the first round at the US Open, I played against a Vietnam girl who was world No. 23. She was very experienced, her strokes and backhand convert were very good. She took 6-7 points off me with that shot, so now I am learning that stroke.”

Both Tanvi and her sister trained at the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad from 2016 to 2021 before financial constraints and COVID-19 forced them to return to Hoshiarpur.

For the past 9-10 months, Tanvi has been training under Korean coach Park Tae-Sang, who guided PV Sindhu to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Park recently said he sees shades of both Saina Nehwal and Sindhu in her.

“I feel happy that someone is comparing me with Saina didi and Sindhu didi. My aggressive style is like Sindhu didi and my movement is like Saina didi,” Tanvi said.

“I am happy training with Park sir. He encourages me a lot, has changed my game to a more aggressive style, improved my smashes and movement.”

Tanvi won the 2025 Denmark Challenger, the 2024 Born International in Germany, and finished runner-up at the 2024 Odisha Open Super 100.

“I am satisfied with my performances in the last one year, especially winning the title in Germany after my injury layoff. I came back stronger. I am very happy playing with the best players in the world now,” she said.

“And now, I am hoping to do my best in Super 500 and 750 events as well,” Tanvi signed off. PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)