Badminton World Championships: Treesa and Gayatri’s giant-kiling spree comes to an end
Indian badminton pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand were defeated in the semifinals of the World Championships by the top-seeded Chinese duo. Despite the loss, the Indian pair earned a medal and gained recognition for their competitive performance.
Why it matters
The performance marks a significant milestone for Indian women's doubles badminton on the global stage.
It was a dream run that had to end at some point. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, giant-killers who accounted for higher-ranked opponents at the badminton World Championships in New Delhi, finally ran out of steam in the semifinals, going down fighting to China’s Sheng Shu Liu & Ning Tan 18-21, 21-13, 21-8 as the Indian challenge ended on the penultimate day on Saturday (August 22, 2026).
The match started with the Chinese as firm favourites. However, the match took the players and the fans alike through a roller-coaster of fortunes and emotions. Eventually, the Chinese duo, who are the top seeds, reigning World champions and runners-up at the Paris Olympics two years ago, advanced to the final.
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