"My coach told me that you have to find a little bit more variation" - Lakshya Sen's massive revelation after clinching Australian Open 2025 title

At the 2025 BWF Australian Open, Lakshya Sen ended a year-long title drought when he defeated Yushi Tanaka in his summit clash in Sydney. The victory was a long time in the making, and the Indian recently broke down the work behind his journey to the top step of the podium.

Last season, Sen was in perfect form and the 24-year-old looked poised to claim hardware at the Paris Olympics. However, at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena, the youngster was dealt blow after blow, first losing to Viktor Axelsen in his semifinals, before going down against Lee Zee Jia in the bronze medal match.

To make matters worse, Sen experienced a downtick in his results immediately after the Games, registering multiple opening round losses over the course of the next few months. Just when it was starting to look like 2025 would be a season to forget for the former World Championships medalist, he staged an incredible resurgence, with the build up culminating in a title finish at the Australian Open Super 500.

After his victory in Sydney, Lakshya Sen revealed that amassing technical variety had been a crucial part of turning his season around, saying (as quoted by Sportstar),

“It’s been almost like 3-4 years in the senior circuit, and people start to read your game. My coach (Yoo Yong Song) told me that you have to find a little bit more variation from the net. Maybe hold a little bit on the shots. So I worked a lot on the technical part of the game.”

Sen went on to add that he's been working on eliminating the thrilling dives from his defence in favour of a more balanced footwork, explaining,

“I actually train to work on my footwork in defense where I stay in the right position all the time. If I have to play a really long career and do those things when I am 30, it will be very difficult. And there are a lot of chances of injuries as well, like in the knee, hand or shoulder. So, in training, I try to avoid those things and not go so hard.”

Sen's triumph over Yushi Tanaka marked the Indian's first title since his victory at the 2024 Syed Modi International.

Lakshya Sen reflect on his early season injury struggles

Sen at the China Masters 2025 (Image Source: Getty)

While Lakshya Sen admitted that the pressures and disappointments of Paris played a role in his slump after the Games, that wasn't the only thing holding the Indian back. In his interaction with media after the Australian Open, the 24-year-old revealed that he'd also dealt with a back injury mid-season, explaining (as quoted by Sportstar),

“There were a few niggles here and there. It was not a major injury, but I was getting some back spasms because of high match intensity or the loads in the back.”

The Australian Open marked Lakshya Sen's final tournament of 2025. The Indian failed to qualify for the year-end BWF World Tour Finals and ended the season as the World No.13.