No favourites in men’s singles now: HS Prannoy

At 33, HS Prannoy remains one of Indian badminton’s most respected voices. Coming off a frustrating finish at the Macau Open, the World No. 34 speaks to TOI on the evolving landscape in men’s singles, and the need for a stronger domestic ecosystem.

Excerpts.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!You had a disappointing finish at the Macau Open. What went wrong? The slower conditions played a big role. It became very physical after a point. I lost patience and started taking more risks, but things just didn’t click. In the past 18 months, the quality in men's singles has gone up significantly. Why do you think the gap in men’s singles is narrowing? Anyone in the top 30 can win a tournament now. Nobody is a favourite. That’s because 3–4 countries dominate the field. China alone has 6–7 top players, then you have strong players from Chinese Taipei, Japan, Denmark, and France.

You’re looking at a pool of 15–16 players who are consistently performing at the highest level. What’s driving this rise in competitiveness? One big factor is that many of them train together. In the Chinese men’s singles team, you often see all six players sparring with each other. The quality of sparring has gone up. The top pair has to perform because there are four others breathing down their necks. How does it compare with the Indian setup? In India, we tend to train individually. Players split up across different academies, both in India and abroad.

Training has become too individualized. For men’s singles, you need that internal competition, where you have a group of at least five world-class players pushing each other. You’re 33 now. How hard is it to do what you did at 23?It’s definitely tougher. Back then, our training volume was much higher. Now, it’s about finding the right balance. You push hard when you feel good, but recovery is crucial. I’ve cut down on running and switched more to cycling to avoid stressing the joints.

Sleep, recovery, and planning your routine well become essential. I’ve been fortunate to have the support of the Reliance Foundation. What are your immediate goals?The last 18 months have been inconsistent.I haven’t been able to close out games the way I used to. Over the next six months, the goal is to consistently reach quarter-finals and semi-finals. As for the Asian Games, I’m not thinking that far ahead. Do you see yourself getting into coaching after retirement?Honestly, I’m not sure. Right now, there’s not enough support for Indian coaches. The system still favours foreign coaches. If there is good support for Indian coaches in the future, I would surely like to return as a coach.