In the last two weeks, Saina Nehwal has defeated a top player to get off the block in the Indonesia Superseries Premier and Australia Superseries. And after both these wins (against Ratchanok Intanon in Jakarta and Sung Ji Hyun in Sydney) her first response was that she did not expect to cross the first round hurdle.
For those who have followed the former world number one’s career since her junior days, the statement that seems loaded with self-doubt would come as a surprise, since the 27-year-old built her success story with immense confidence in her own ability and an unyielding spirit.
But the career-threatening knee injury a week before the 2016 Rio Olympics which kept her out of competition for three months, set her back in a big way. At one stage, even her well-wishers would have doubted her ability to make a comeback. So much so, that she attracted a relatively low bid in the second edition of Premier Badminton League earlier this year.
But Nehwal bounced back immediately to win the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold tournament. And while she hasn’t really set the court on fire in bigger tournaments thereafter, it is difficult to understand how, where, and why her self-confidence has been dented in this manner.
Even on Friday, when she surrendered her Australian Superseries crown after losing to China’s Sun Yu in the quarterfinals, the way she fought throughout the match was a good enough indicator that there is enough life left in the London Olympics bronze medallist’s legs.
She fought hard for every point, moved extremely well and did not do much wrong in the one hour 18 minute encounter but for surrendering the initiative – not once but twice – when she could have gone in for the kill. It was the same scenario in the earlier round against Soniia Cheah but then Nehwal had managed to regroup in the decider to advance to the quarters.
Against Sun Yu, she lost seven points in a row in the first and third game and though she worked hard and did not give any easy points during that phase, it was evident that Nehwal didn’t believe she could stem the rot.
Not past her prime
Every time Nehwal loses, the usual chatter about whether the World Championship silver medallists is past her prime begins to gather momentum.
But is she really on a downward spiral or does she have the ability to win major titles again?
Nehwal is not getting any younger and has already spent over a decade on the international circuit. She may not have many years left at this level, but the 27-year-old definitely has the ability to win a few more titles before hanging up her racquet for good.
Those working with her in Bangalore will vouch for the fact that Nehwal is training even harder than before and there is nothing really wrong with her overall fitness level.
However, there is a huge probability that her ultra-competitive personality isn’t really helping her cause. Nehwal has gone through a similar phase before, when PV Sindhu won back-to-back World Championship bronze medals in 2013-14 while she was struggling to put together a string of good results. She ultimately decided to leave the Gopichand Badminton Academy and moved to Bangalore to train under U Vimal Kumar and ended up climbing the world ranking summit in 2015.
The knee injury has added another dimension to the problem this time around, since Nehwal’s mental state has always depended on how good she felt about her physical preparation. It is also time that those close to her stop stoking that ultra-competitive streak and assure Nehwal that her place in Indian badminton history is carved in stone.
Whatever happens from here on, Nehwal’s position as the pioneer of the Indian badminton revolution is guaranteed, and she needs to start enjoying that special status and play more freely without the burden of proving a point to anyone. If you think that won’t work, just look at what Roger Federer has managed to do this season.
Whether she will be a force to reckon with for another Olympic medal in 2020 would depend on how she manages her workload both physically and mentally. But before that, there is a small matter of the Commonwealth and Asian Games next year and a couple of World Championships for her to target. And if she believes in herself, there is no reason why she cannot be a medal contender there.
