HS Prannoy, on his return to the Top 10 in men’s badminton

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HS Prannoy, who asserted at the start of 2022 that he could be among the best players in the world, has provenhimself right by re-entering the top 10 in the men’s rankings, after an impressive victory-laden season. His first significant performance of the year was for the Thomas Cup, where he led India through the quarterfinal and semifinal.

He was subsequently awarded the Arjuna Award, and won the highly coveted BWF World Tour trophy, after defeating the in-form Viktor Axelsen. Currently ranked at number 9, the 30-year-old is now ahead of Srikanth Kidambi and behind Lakshya Sen, by two spots each.

While he didn’t participate in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Prannoy has had a standout year, and according to him it was a big achievement for him to play all season, with no major breaks.

As an athlete, he has also admitted to realizing that he has to be content at every moment, as there may be lengthy periods with no victories, and others which are more satisfying professionally. He has also stated that mental strength is a crucial trait of all players in the top 30, and that he has benefitted from the advice of experts, according to whom he focuses on valuing himself properly and trying to perform to his best on court every day.

The competition with Kidambi and Sen also keeps him motivated, and he hopes that more Indian players perform well, so that it can catalyze others to perform well too.