Moments after converting a match point against friend and fellow teenager Divyanshi Bhowmick, Syndrela Das clenched her fist, hugged her opponent and then embraced her coach Soumyadeep Roy and mother Sushmita. A few moments later, she rested in a chair and broke down during a video call with the rest of her family.

The tears of joy were fitting. On the day she turned 17, Syndrela had already done enough to make the birthday memorable, pocketing the under-19 girls’ title. By the time she left The Sportz Hub on Sunday (August 23, 2026), she had added a second trophy to the collection, her maiden women’s singles crown at a National Ranking tournament.

“Now that I have won both the finals, it feels really nice,” Syndrela told The Hindu. “When I saw the tournament dates, I was again a tad disappointed. I was like, ‘Again I will have to keep competing on my birthday.’ But once I kept on winning through the day, I had the additional motivation of going all the way and celebrating my birthday in style. I am glad that it turned out to be a fruitful day.” It was more than fruitful.

The West Bengal paddler negotiated seven matches through the day without a defeat, first overcoming Ananya Muralidharan in the youth girls’ final before getting past Divyanshi in the senior decider. The latter was particularly testing, with Divyanshi — herself a giant-killer during the tournament having outsted fancied Diya Chitale and top seed Yashaswini Ghorpade earlier in the day — refusing to let Syndrela settle.

Syndrela eventually prevailed, but not before being pushed to the brink by Swastika Ghosh in the semifinal.

“Swastika di was the most challenging,” she said. “She was in an unbelievable touch today, hitting backhand and forehand winners consistently. I was down 7-4 in the decider but I planned smartly thereafter and scraped through.”

The victory was another marker in what has already been a rapid rise for the 17-year-old. Syndrela finished runner-up at the Senior Nationals in Indore in March and is now the youngest member of India’s squad for the forthcoming Asian Games.

Her birthday celebrations, meanwhile, have become something of a travelling ritual. Last year, she was in Sweden on the circuit when she turned 16. This time, the celebrations came with two trophies in tow.

“Trust me, it will be one of the most memorable birthdays for me since I won my first national women’s title,” she said.

There was little inclination, though, to let the celebrations become too elaborate. After a day spent moving between the table, the bench and the medal ceremony, Syndrela had one immediate priority.

“I am extremely hungry after sweating out all through the day,” she said, laughing. “So I am going to treat myself to a sumptuous meal along with some of my friends who are around.”

For once, the birthday cake can wait. The trophies have already provided the sweetest part of the celebration.