Lakshya Sen has been an enigma of sorts. Some incredible wins coupled with some poor losses – it’s fair to say that Sen, despite all the talent, hasn’t really done justice to the potential he has. Just like in the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he played some fantastic badminton before giving it away in the semi-finals, he did the same at the All England Open 2025.
Take the match against Jonatan Christie, for example. Pitted against the defending champion, Sen wasn’t overawed. In fact, from the start, he seemed in control. May I say, it was one of his finest wins. In his words, he was in ‘Sen mode’. Except the first few minutes, it was all Sen. His movement was a sight to behold and some of the defensive shots were just picture postcards that will remain in memory for a long time. Each time Christie tried to push, Sen pushed back harder. Even the Indian support in Birmingham couldn’t believe what they were seeing as Sen had turned it on, and how. That’s when Christie was defeated. At the end of the first game, he seemed deflated and somewhat negative.
Even at the interval, Christie wasn’t able to change momentum. A couple of points, yes, but that was all he could manage. Sen was on a mission and did not want to take things to the decider. The best part was there was no emotion from Sen even when the match ended. The customary pump of the fist and the wave to the crowd – it was as if Sen knew the job wasn’t done yet.
And that’s what baffles me. Someone who could play that well for two consecutive days was completely off-colour in the quarterfinal against Li Shifeng. At the start of the match, the commentators said they were expecting a close match that was very difficult to call. In fact, one of them said Sen was the favourite. Till 4-4 in the first game, it was all even. Thereafter, Li just ran away with it as Sen started making one mistake after another. Ten or more unforced errors in one game, as he just couldn’t control the shuttle and kept hitting long.
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In the second game, he was up 11-8 and that was when one felt he had managed to turn the tide. After the interval, however, things were different. The Chinese managed to take control yet again, and Sen just wasn’t able to bring out his A game thereafter.
Consistency – that’s what Sen is lacking. He isn’t able to play five matches on the trot with the same intensity. Two great matches followed by one bad one, and that’s what is holding him back. It is the very same thing that had plagued him in 2023. In fact, he had once said to me, “While I had played a few good matches here and there, I had not played a series of good matches consistently. That consistency was lacking, and that’s why I hadn’t won a big tournament. I had even taken a break in between to regain my focus back, and I remember speaking to you about this”.
It is the one thing that Sen needs to sort. And if he does, there will be no stopping him. For all Indian badminton fans, this could be the primary wish for 2025.
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