NEW DELHI, Jan. 13 -- Though she was tired after a heavy training session with Malvika Bansod and Tanvi Sharma in the morning, PV Sindhu was glowing with a certain sense of excitement on Monday. It was in September that the badminton ace rolled her toe and foot while training, tearing a ligament which took her out of the circuit for three-and-a-half months. But last week, she made an impressive comeback, reaching the women's singles semi-finals of Malaysia Open - an elite Super 1000 event. Now she is eager to hit the courts at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium for the India Open, a competition which she won nine years back, to get into a season where she is not just looking to re-enter the top 10 (last was in October 2023) but also end her title drought which stretches back to December 2024. "I started training and playing in the third week of December. I'm now back at 100% and injury free. It took me some time but starting the season in Malaysia, it was a good run," said Sindhu, who is currently ranked No.18 in the world. During her lay-off Sindhu went to a rehab centre in Atlanta, USA. "It was a mixed bag because generally we don't get this long a break. So, I thought I'll utilise it to the best. For rehab, it was a very good facility there. I was lucky enough to get the best trainers and physios there. I think the US has always been way ahead (for recovery). It was good I actually got a break where I could do my rehab. It was very important for me to do the rehab part very well. It went well," said the double Olympic medallist. Importantly, the former world champion has also hired the services of renowned strength and conditioning coach Wayne Lombard, who has worked with multiple Indian teams and athletes in the past. Sindhu realised to excel in a year which has the Asian Games and also the World Championships at home, it was critical to get her body ready in time for these major events. "I had worked with him earlier too, before and during the Olympics as well. I'm working with him again. We started a couple of months back and it has been a pretty good run so far. We're not working on any particular aspect but generally how the body is recovering or what I should do or what needs to be done," said the five-time World Championships medallist. "Because it (body) is not the same, it can't do what it used to five or 10 years back. It's not going to be the same. Your body might receive something well, sometimes it might not. Sometimes your recovery might not be good. Sometimes, if you want to skip gym sessions, maybe something else is required. Management and understanding your body is very important." "I'm really enjoying and liking the season because it has started really well. I hope I go with the same rhythm and confidence. I played really well. If you do well, you get that confidence and boost. You might lose early in some tournaments but it's important that you have that confidence within you where you can come back stronger." It has also been a year that Sindhu has been training under Indonesian Irwansyah Adi Pratama under whom Sindhu showed glimpses of her prime last year when she reached the quarter-finals at the World Championships or the last eight at the China Masters. "The coach-athlete relationship is very important. It's been going pretty well. There have been ups and downs. Then I was injured but came back stronger. We've been working on my skill and being more agile on court as women's singles has changed. You need to be patient enough. Defenses have become much stronger now," said Sindhu. "How much ever you smash as an attacking player, the defenses have become so strong that they are retrieving many more shuttles. You have to make sure the rallies are going longer. You have to be at the net after every smash and be prepared for everything. Working on skill and staying alert on court because matches are going on longer. You have to be patient enough for longer periods." Sindhu will open against Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh....