Notable voices from the badminton world – what they said this past week:
From the Indonesia Open
“I must keep learning. I’m world No.1 but my performance isn’t No.1 yet. I have to try every shot, if it doesn’t work I have to change.”
– Kunlavut Vitidsarn on adapting his game despite holding the top ranking.
“At our age we are (still) trying to achieve something. Of course we try to enjoy the game.”
– Tan Wee Kiong reflects after breaking a streak of seven first-round exits with partner Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub.
“When I’m speaking to myself, I’m trying to regulate all the emotions and thoughts and put the goals where I need them to be.”
– Lee Chia Hao on the role of self-talk in navigating tough matches.
“At heart, I’m younger than my opponent. You need to change your mind and be humble and stable.”
– Chou Tien Chen shares his mindset at this stage in his career.
“We wish to never play against each other but of course, if we are both at the top level, it’s true at some point we should encounter each other.”
– Christo Popov on the challenge of facing his elder brother Toma Junior Popov in competition.
“I lost my confidence at Singapore Open but I’m slowly finding it. This tournament is where I learned a lot about myself.”
– An Se Young on bouncing back to win her third Super 1000 title of the season.
“I hope we will get more media (coverage) and more people coming to play. I wanted to be the first to win a big tournament so that’s done.”
– Delphine Delrue celebrates her historic Super 1000 title for France with Thom Gicquel, hoping it boosts badminton’s popularity in her country.