India, Aug. 16 -- Conversations on the eve of a major championship and body language reveal much about the mindset a player brings into the tournament. There are prodding questions from the media about the build-up, revisiting past demons and head-to-head records. The difference is stark in how an accomplished player and a newcomer, who might be concentrating hard to shut out all the background noise, react.

PV Sindhu's poise a day before the BWF World Championships reflected her stellar career. Her legacy is intertwined with the tournament. For three successive editions, from 2017 to 2019, she made it to the final, eventually becoming the world champion by beating long-time Japanese rival Nozomi Okuhara in Basel, winning her fifth and l...