New Delhi: Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen said he focused on taking "one match at a time" during his campaign at the All England Open Badminton Championships, adding that a psychological discipline allowed him to navigate a demanding draw without the added weight of external expectations.
Lakshya, who became only the second Indian player to reach two All England finals, returned with a silver medal after the 24-year-old went down in the men’s singles final 21-15, 22-20 against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi in the summit clash.
Lakshya’s mentor, Prakash Padukone, had reached the All England final in 1980 and 1981 and won the title in his first appearance in the summit clash.
Speaking about whether carrying the hopes of the nation alone ever affects a player's performance or adds extra pressure in such big tournaments, Lakshya said he maintained a simplified perspective.
"I was focusing on one match at a time. I wasn’t thinking about the draw or who I might face next. Whenever I stepped on the court, my only focus was on my match," Lakshya said at a virtual press conference.
The 24-year-old shuttler also opened up about the mental shift from the breakthrough run at the 2022 edition, where he reached the final of the prestigious tournament for the first time, saying while he played freely without expectations in 2022, he felt much better prepared this time to deal with the pressure of big matches.
"When I played the final at All England in 2022, I was enjoying the moment and playing without expectations. But this time, when I reached the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final, I was better prepared in terms of how to handle and play such pressure matches. This time, I had the belief that I could win, but in 2022, it was a bit different, as I was just trying to see how far I could go," the Paris Olympic semifinalist said.
Reflecting on his loss against Chun-Yi in the summit clash, Lakshya admitted that the semifinal encounter against Victor Lai, which lasted for one hour and 37 minutes, took a toll on his body and it made it difficult for him to be at his absolute best in the final.
PV Sindhu hails Lakshya’s phenomenal runNew Delhi: Two-time Olympic medalist shuttler PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen’s “phenomenal run” in the All England Open 2026 after he went down 21-15, 22-20 to Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei in the men’s singles final, settling for a silver medal. Despite the loss, Sindhu highlighted the qualities Sen displayed on the court. “Never easy to come back and play a final less than 24 hours after a brutal semifinal. Those matches really stay in the legs. I remember the 2021 All England Open Badminton Championships. I had a really long quarterfinal against Akane Yamaguchi, and the very next day had to step back on court for the semifinal against Pornpawee Chochuwong. Let me tell you, it’s brutal,” Sindhu wrote on X. Sindhu was in awe of Sen’s level of play in the last few days. “Lakshya still had a phenomenal week. Beating Shi Yuqi and Li Shifeng in the same tournament says a lot about the level he’s playing at. And Lin Chun Yi’s attack at times really reminds you of his namesake Lin Dan. Very decisive and explosive,” she added. |
