New Delhi: Following his first-round defeat to Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei at the India Open last week, Lakshya Sen remarked that it “just wasn’t his day.” A concerning trend is that India’s leading men’s singles player has experienced a scarcity of ‘good days’ since the Olympic Games.

Since the Paris Olympics, the world No. 12 has participated in seven tournaments, managing to reach the latter stages only twice, while exiting early in five events. He had a commendable performance at the China Masters in November, where he advanced to the quarter-finals. Although he ended a 17-month title drought by securing victory at the Syed Modi India International last month, it is noteworthy that Sen was the top seed at the Lucknow event and faced minimal top-tier competition.

“Since the Olympics, he has lost several very close matches that he should have won, similar to his experience at the Olympics. This pattern has persisted across multiple tournaments, where he has been in a strong position only to lose,” stated Sen’s coach, U Vimal Kumar.

“He must learn to manage these specific situations. We have had extensive discussions with him about this. He is aware of it but needs to implement the necessary changes himself. Ultimately, it is up to him—how he thinks and how he copes with these challenges.”

Sen came close to winning a medal at the Olympics, nearly defeating eventual champion Viktor Axelsen in the semifinals before the Dane prevailed. He had another opportunity in the bronze medal match, where he was again in the lead against Lee Zii Jia, but a subsequent lapse allowed the Malaysian to claim the medal.

Sen’s team at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) has advised him to focus on improving his physical condition, ensuring that the 23-year-old feels confident in both offensive and defensive situations, as conditions can vary significantly from one venue to another.

The Almora native maintains regular communication with his mental health expert, Gayatri Vartak, a former Indian shuttler, and has previously collaborated with renowned mental coach Paddy Upton prior to the Olympics.

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