Who is Unnati Hooda? This might be a question popping up in the minds of many badminton fans after she defeated PV Sindhu in a round of 16 clash at the China Open 2025. The 17-year-old outclassed the two-time Olympic medallist 21-16, 19-21 and 21-13 in what was an absolute thriller to book her spot in the China Open 2025 quarter-finals. The world of badminton has witnessed the rise of a new badminton sensation in Unnati Hooda and the youngster will look to continue her good form going, not just in the China Open 2025 but also in future tournaments. In this article, we shall take a look at who Unnati Hooda is and what her journey in the sport has been like. Unnati Hooda, 17, Defeats Compatriot PV Sindhu in China Open 2025 Round of 16 Thriller. In a battle between the present and future of Indian badminton, it was Unnati Hooda who came out on top in the end. As a matter of fact, the young Unnati Hooda idolises PV Sindhu and this is a victory which she would cherish for a long time to come. The victory over PV Sindhu helped Unnati Hooda become just the fourth Indian women's singles player to reach the quarter-finals of a BWF Super1000 event. India, over the years, has been blessed with badminton stars over the years with Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, just to name a few and Unnati Hooda is on her way to be added to that list. Six Indian Badminton Players Barred From FISU World University Games 2025 Due to Alleged Administrative Lapse. Who is Unnati Hooda? A Look at Some Facts About 17-Year-Old Badminton Sensation #Unnati Hooda was born on September 20, 2007, in Chamaria village, located in Rohtak, Haryana. #She started playing badminton at the tender age of eight, as per Olympics.com. #In an interview with Hindustan Times, Unnati Hooda's father shared how he realised that she could take up badminton seriously after she had won district and state-level competitions. #Unnati Hooda won a bronze medal at the U-13 National Badminton Championships in 2018 and two years later, was crowned champion at the U-15 level. #Unnati Hooda, at just 14 years of age, had won the Odisha Open in 2022, becoming the youngest Indian to win a Super100 event. #In 2022, Unnati Hooda also won the gold medal in badminton at the Khelo India Youth Games held in Haryana. #In 2023, she defeated Samiya Imad Farooqui to clinch the women's singles title at Abu Dhabi Masters, which is her second senior title. #Despite her active involvement in badminton, Unnati Hooda has not let her studies get affected, as she scored a whopping 93% in class 12 exams this year #Her victory at the Odisha Open saw Unnati Hooda attain a ranking of 217 from 418. #Unnati Hooda is currently ranked 35th in women's singles as per the BWF's latest rankings. At 17, Unnati Hooda has shown signs of making it big in badminton and the victory over PV Sindhu is sure to boost her confidence and give her momentum going ahead. Unnati Hooda, with the victory over PV Sindhu, set up a clash against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi.