Treesa-Gayatri’s fairytale run ends with historic bronze at BWF World Championships

Indian badminton stars Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand's fairytale run at the 2026 BWF World Championships concluded with a historic bronze medal in the women's doubles event. The unseeded duo stunned the Indian public by reaching the semifinals, only to fall short against top-seeded Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning. Treesa and Gayatri had already claimed India's 15-year wait for a women's doubles medal since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa's bronze in 2011.

Their journey began with a win over fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the quarterfinals, followed by victories over Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the Round of 64 and Round of 32. Their journey continued with a stunning victory over seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in the Round of 16, making them the first Indian women's doubles pair to reach the quarterfinals since 2015.

Despite their heartbreaking defeat, Treesa and Gayatri's bronze medal marked a significant milestone for Indian badminton, as it remained the country's only medal from the doubles events at the World Championships.