I am consciously learning to be more aggressive on court: Lakshya Sen

Last August, star shuttler Lakshya Sen had the entire India in bated breaths, as he fought tooth and nail in a 71-minute-long bronze medal match against Lee Zii Jia in the bronze medal match of the Paris Olympics. At 22, Sen had come touchingly close to becoming the first Indian male to stand on the podium for badminton in the quadrennial event.

While that dream slipped away from him by a whisker, the journey since then has been a true test of his character. Tipped to be India’s finest talent in racket sports, Sen, renowned for his extreme training methods where he pushes his body to the absolute limits, is finally pleased with how his body has shaped up now after a few challenging months of overcoming a back injury.

“Two-three months back, I struggled with the back injury. Right now, I am completely okay to play and compete again, but at the same time I am keeping on working on my body. I have to do a few things to keep the rehab going, put in some extra hours in the gym. But, overall, I am looking forward to playing more tournaments, because I have missed quite a few of them since the start of this year due to injuries, which has resulted in a dip in rankings,” Sen, ranked 21 in men’s singles right now, down from his career-best of six in November 2022, told CNBC-TV18.

“The Olympics was a great experience”

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— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) July 31, 2025 

Sen has had a storied career so far. Born in Almora, Uttarakhand, he moved to Bengaluru and trained in noted coach Vimal Kumar’s academy since he was 10. He has won the gold medal in Thomas Cup and the Commonwealth Games, and also the silver in Asian Games. Men’s badminton has not been India’s strongest suit and he has been the closest in the category to challenge for an Olympic medal. Sen looks poised for a prolific future ahead, but the journey of his run in Paris last year still excites him.

“The Olympics was a great experience. Every bit of it pushed me harder to perform mentally and physically. I had several ups and downs, since I began the qualifications on a good note, but there was a time when I felt I could not make it to the tournament. From there, to missing the medal by a whisker, it was a good journey. I learnt a lot from that and it’s an experience that every player wants to have, to feel the pressure and excitement of the Olympics. In the coming years, I’d be as hungry, motivated, as I was as a young kid to go out there and win matches,” he said.

The last year, though, has been a difficult run for Sen. Most recently; he crashed out in the opening round of the World Championships, losing to World No. 1 Shi Yuqi amid a tough draw that saw him lock horns with the hot favourite very early on in the competition. That followed a spate of tournaments where he struggled to break out from the preliminary stages this year. Both form and fitness haven’t exactly acted in synergy for the athlete, and he understands that his training methodologies need a shake-up for the next phase of growth in his career.

“I am 24 now, but I have played for three-four years in the circuit. So people read your game and come prepared to face you. After 24, there’s a phase of your career, where skill-wise you have done a lot, for around 20 years now. It’s time to get sharper with your training and the recovery processes from here will be a little bit different. To find the right amount of training, not over-exerting myself, to pick the right tournaments, but just enjoy badminton every time I step on the court,” he said.

“I have been a calm guy on and off the court”

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— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) August 16, 2025

Irrespective of the outcomes, a distinct quality about Sen has been the stoic demeanour with which he carries himself both on and off the court. Rarely one to get ruffled, he has channelled an innate sense of composure that makes him a tough nut to crack. Whilst his ability to stay afloat in the same emotional boat despite of wins and losses is appreciated, Sen says that he has been purposely trying to instil some aggression in his endeavours, which is necessary to cross over the finishing line on certain circumstances.

“From a very young age, I have been a calm guy on and off the court. At times, I have to learn different aspects to be more aggressive, consciously I had to make an effort in such situations to push myself harder. To be calm under pressure, in that state of mind, long back I realised that being stoic helps me before and during games, even when there’s nervousness ahead of a tough encounter. It’s not about taking it easy, but about being in a zone where I am at my 100% and perform well,” he said.

Sen was in Mumbai for an event named ‘Red Bull Beat the Pro with Lakshya Sen’ where he interacted and played badminton with several young kids. The star sportsperson has teamed up with the Austrian brand, which have been catering to his off-field activities and activations for a while now.

“I have been associated with Red Bull for quite a few years now. It’s a renowned brand and they have been extremely supportive in my off-field endeavours, supporting my training in all ways possible. It feels good to meet the people and connect with them. We don’t play a lot of tournaments in India. So, when you do such activations, people turn up in large numbers to support, and it’s an access for them too to learn something new. It meant as a lot for me as a young kid to see players in such close action, as I would try to replicate them in training afterwards. So, it’s a good opportunity for us to connect with people and for the kids to get to see athletes up close,” he signed off.