Like Father, Like Daughter!

Pullela Gayatri is slowly becoming one of the promising names in Indian badminton. The daughter of badminton legend Pullela Gopichand, Gayatri has been making a strong mark in women’s doubles along with her partner Treesa Jolly. Her consistent performances have now earned her an Arjuna Award.

Gayatri developed an interest in badminton from a young age. Growing up around her father and training at the Gopichand Academy, she got the opportunity to watch and train alongside top players like Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu.

She started making headlines at a very young age. At just 15, Gayatri became the national number one in the Under 17 category. She also became part of India’s badminton team for the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

In 2019, she moved into senior level competitions and won a silver medal in women’s singles at the South Asian Games in Nepal.

The biggest change in her career came in 2021 when she started focusing on doubles. With the support of her father and coach Arun Vishnu, she teamed up with Treesa Jolly. The pair quickly started producing good results.

Gayatri and Treesa won the India International Challenge in 2021 and followed it with a silver at the Welsh International. In 2022, they reached the Syed Modi International final and won their first BWF World Tour title at the Odisha Open.

The pair later won the Syed Modi International title in 2024 and 2025, further establishing themselves as one of India’s leading women’s doubles combinations.

Gopichand has also said that playing badminton was always Gayatri’s own decision. He had given her the freedom to choose her career, but Gayatri’s strong interest in the sport made him happy.

Today, Gayatri is carrying forward the badminton legacy of her family while creating her own identity on the international stage.