PV Sindhu recently opened up on how just a little guidance from Virat Kohli on the right platform helped her sail through one of the most difficult and testing phases of her career. The two-time Olympic medalist finally got her act right by winning the Japan Open 2026 after a gap of two long years. Sindhu already had a few rough months before the tournament, with struggles over form and self-confidence. While she worked as hard as ever, with training and discipline, she felt that Kohli's compliment breathed new energy into her practice. After a loss and trying to find an answer to a hard time, Sindhu sought advice from the former skipper. With whom he has a great rapport, she asked him to bear the pressure to end his long wait for an international century. Kohli's.reply lingered. He shared with her that rather than dwelling on the milestone, he just thought of enjoying the experience of scoring runs again. And that one simple thought proved to be a guiding force in Sindhu's comeback. Also Read | Ravi Shastri Reveals India Squad For ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, 4 Surprise Calls Catch Attention During the injury break, Sindhu was able to reset her mindset. Sharing the story of her return, Sindhu said : "My journey back was not an easy one. Once I snapped a toe ligament, and the doctors suggested me to stay away from badminton for three months. It was during this period that my husband Venkata Datta Sai took me to Atlanta for rehab and recovery." Datta also commented that the emphasis was not just on physical rehabilitation but also on enabling Sindhu to again have fun playing badminton. Datta said to the Indian Express : 'We had to regain her happiness. All that India lost to him (Virat) kept echoing in my ears. She was at Atlanta's Exos Sports Performance centre, training with three fantastic trainers-Wayne, Tim and Rayan. He added : "My sister used to take her every morning for rehab and strengthening exercises for three weeks. We brought her love for the game back in a family environment where she was an ordinary person and not a star." Additionally, the crew that was supporting Sindhu had a huge impact on her comeback. Datta explained that after she defeated Japan's Akane Yamaguchi in the final and secured the title, all 13 of her team members had tears well up. As well as this, sports science became a vital factor in her training as Datta explained: "After the Paris Olympics, we extracted data that showed us two major flaws. Firstly, her attacking mentality had slipped; secondly, that against the best players she now required a second, third or fourth attack within a rally to score a point, thereby increasing her psychological and technical pressure." Secondly, her line judgements last year used to be two per match; they had now risen to six. It was just too high; she was 'hoping' to get easy points" Sindhu also altered her level of fitness. Under the guidance of her coaches, she lost 3.5 kilos ahead of the Japan Open. She changed to a new diet with a focus on chicken as a source of protein, and she indulged in an ice cream to mark her winning the title in Tokyo. Her win at the Japan Open was the new beginning for Sindhu. Now that her confidence is refuelled and her passion rekindled for the game, the Indian star will be eager to maintain this momentum for the forthcoming tournaments.