Tanvi Sharma, India’s rising teenage badminton sensation, etched her name in history as the fifth Indian shuttler to reach the final of the BWF World Junior Championships.
The 16-year-old top seed produced a dominant performance at the 2025 BWF World Junior Championships in Guwahati, defeating China’s Liu Si Ya 15-11, 15-9 in straight games in the semifinals.
With this win, Tanvi became only the third Indian woman to reach the girls’ singles final, following in the footsteps of Saina Nehwal and Aparna Popat.
On Sunday, she will aim to go one step further and emulate Saina by lifting the World Junior title on home soil, a feat that could mark the beginning of another remarkable Indian badminton career.
From mother’s inspiration to senior team debut
Born and raised in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, Tanvi was introduced to badminton by her mother, Meena Sharma, a former volleyball player at the DC Complex.
She began her career in badminton as a sport in 2016 when she joined the Gopichand Academy as a non-scholarship trainee for five years until 2021.
Tanvi gradually strengthened her presence in the junior circuit, reaching her first junior international final at the 2023 India Junior International in Hyderabad.
After her consistent performance at Nationals, Tanvi made a place in the Indian women’s team for the Asian Team Championships 2024.
Although she didn’t compete at the tournament, but gained a memorable experience by being a part of an iconic team that won its first-ever Asian women’s team title.
The selectors maintained their confidence in Tanvi and selected her for the biggest women’s team competition of badminton, the Uber Cup, in 2024.
This time, she also made her debut in the last group match against China, where she competed against the current world no.2 Wang Zhi Yi of China.
Her debut wasn’t a fairytale, but she challenged Wang in the second game and gave a short trailer to her captivating, deceptive play on cross-court shots.
After that match, Wang also gifted the young Indian the Chinese team’s pennant as a present, acknowledging her skills and technique.
Junior world No.1 to the historic Medal
Tanvi’s continued rise in the junior circuit led to another milestone for her as she became the world’s No. 1 junior player in women’s singles earlier this year.
She backed that with her maiden junior Asian medal in July 2025, where she clinched the bronze medal, ending India’s 13-year wait for a women’s singles medal.
Now, back on home soil in Guwahati, Tanvi has ended a 17-year drought for India in the women’s singles at the World Junior Championships.
Her performance has ignited hope for a new generation of Indian badminton, with fans seeing in her the same fearless flair that once defined Saina Nehwal’s early days.
