On a Thursday afternoon filled with Indian flags, loud cheers and growing belief inside the Indira Gandhi Arena, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand produced one of the biggest wins of their careers.
The world No. 39 Indian pair stunned Japan’s world No. 7, Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-16, 21-12, in the Round of 16 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi. With this win, Treesa and Gayatri also became the first Indian pair to reach the last eight at this edition of the World Championships.
The Indian duo entered the Round of 16 with confidence already building around them. Tressa and Gayatri started their campaign with a comfortable 21-9, 21-13 win over Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez. They then followed it up with another straight-game victory, beating the world No. 16 pair of Lauren Lam and Allison Quynh Lee 21-15, 21-18.
But standing between them and the quarter-finals was a Japanese pair, ranked much higher. However the home crowd made sure the Indians never felt low.
Every winning rally was applauded with a roar. Every smash brought another round of applause. The atmosphere grew louder with every point as Treesa and Gayatri began to find their rhythm.
They did not look nervous by the occasion or their opponents. Instead they played with the confidence of a pair that knew how they had earned their place on this court.
Treesa brought out the aggression and attacking intent, while Gayatri remained composed and looked for openings in the Japanese defence. The Indians kept the pressure on Iwanaga and Nakanishi and refused to allow the Japanese pair to settle. The first game went India’s way 21-16.
And then came another important moment before the second game.
India’s national chief coach Pullela Gopichand was there with the pair, giving instructions and trying to keep them focused. For Treesa, he was the national coach, but for Gayatri, he was also her father. That made the moment particularly special for Gaytri.
Throughout the match, Gopichand was seen guiding the pair from the sidelines, reacting to their shots and offering advice after important exchanges. The emotion was different from a normal coaching moment. He was watching his daughter compete at a World Championship on home soil, with home fans behind her.
Even when the BWF announcement introduced Gayatri by her full name, Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, there was an added emotion behind her name.
“It’s great and I mean it’s super fun to be on court with him. Sometimes he’s a little strict. But yeah, I think it’s a huge support,” Gayatri said on her father’s support.
The second game began with India taking the opening point, and from there on they never allowed the Japanese pair to settle. The lead kept growing as Treesa and Gayatri continued to attack and defend with confidence.
The Japanese pair tried to fight back, but the Indians had already found their rhythm as they sealed the 21-12 game
The celebration inside the arena was immediate. The crowd had watched an Indian pair defeat one of the world’s top women’s doubles teams, and the significance was clear.
For Treesa and Gayatri, this was the biggest upset of their badminton journey. More importantly, they had become the first Indian pair to make it to the quarter-finals at the ongoing World Championships.
Their reward is another difficult challenge as they will face China’s world No. 4 pair, Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian, who have beaten the Indians in all three of their previous meetings.
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