Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa

For a pair of naturally skilled 22-year-olds – Treesa is aggressive, Gayatri innate – with no dearth of facilities made available, the challenge throughout their career is going to be fitness. Because it’s women’s doubles, and the Japanese, Koreans never stop retrieving, and the Chinese toss power into the mix, endurance becomes all-important. “You just have to do it. No choice. But once it is done, it feels like an achievement,” Gayatri says, describing the drill. “It’s that running on the treadmill, sprints, followed by a 15-second break, and sometimes 400 metres,” she says.

The stop-start year, as Gayatri battled injuries, wasn’t just time away from the international circuit. But one where she learnt to strap on a brave face. “Yes, a lot of comeback from injuries is about pain management. It’s tricky, you have to have the courage to go 100% and push through pain. Challenge is to know when to take breaks, when to push, strategist for tournaments,” says the World No 13.

Developing all-round game

While both have very defined strong areas on the court, they have developed all-round games over this season, and Treesa’s aggression even on the forecourt is a delight for Gayatri. “I love the net game of course, but also the combination clicks because we know exactly where the other person is moving. There’s clarity on roles, when to step in, when to turn,” Gayatri explains.

While a mixed doubles stint has made Treesa fairly intimidating at the net, Gayatri has relied on her anticipation and keeps honing her strength in creating openings for her partner.

A large reason for Treesa going beyond her enforcer role is the nuance and patience in her strokes, controlled explosion that’s built from mitochondrial level up, and more tangibly, her slightly improved agility. “My strongest point is my legs. Whatever more I do, agility or reaction drills that help me to move quicker and faster on court,” Treesa says.

Returning from the enforced break made demands mentally on them both. “I like to use breaks to mentally switch off. Yoganidra, meditation helps,” Gayatri says. “But it’s just spending time with loved ones, watching movies, music, going for walks. We also have random chats unrelated to badminton with Treesa,” she says.

The constantly hanging pressure-sword of the Gopichand pedigree isn’t one, she clarifies. “People keep saying it’s pressure. I don’t see it like that. It’s an opportunity to become a better player and just be grounded.”

Her mother PVV Laxmi was an Olympian too, and there’s more than a hint of her cross drops that Gayatri claims she’s inherited in her game. “Mom is an Olympian and won Nationals, too. They both tell me to just enjoy the game and she says there’s nothing to lose. Her advice is always to hang in there.”

Treesa has matured in her mindset, along the same lines of staying patient, and reminds that it’s a shared challenge, just like shared glory. “Though it’s not easy to come out of those situations where you are not playing badminton it’s a really difficult situation to crack. But it was difficult for both of us,” she insists. “We’ve been there for each other and supported each other. Patiently, we waited to play back on court. And play at this level. Now we both are happy playing at this level.”

She has been incredibly supportive, knowing it’s how top partnerships are nurtured. “It’s not in our hands. Injury or whatever is part of a sportspeople’s life. As a partner in this situation, I just want to motivate myself, and it’s important for my partner also that I help them and stay by their side, motivate and support her,” she says.

At World No. 13, having played the second fewest tournaments in the Top 15, the Indians know that their career will be measured in how well they play when they hit the courts. “We’re still young, still just 22. It’ll be too much pressure to think of what will happen after four years. So we don’t think that far ahead. It’s just about bettering endurance and agility by one per cent each day,” Gayatri says. Grin, grumble and get ready for the 2026 rumble.