Antonsen Targets Elusive Gold at Badminton World Championships in New Delhi

'The one I miss in the collection is the gold': Antonsen targets elusive Badminton WC title

New Delhi, Aug 16

Antonsen has already collected three bronze medals and one silver at the World Championships, but the gold has remained out of reach. The 28-year-old admitted that completing his medal collection would be a career-defining achievement, although he knows the quality of the current field leaves little margin for error.

"Yeah, you're right. I've claimed the bronze three times and the silver once. So the one I miss in the collection is definitely the gold. So that could be amazing and a dream come true if I was able to claim that, but it was preventing me from getting that final step. I face some better players, I guess, in the given tournaments. So yeah, hopefully this year can be my year. I need to play my absolute best and maybe even better than I've ever done before. And then I need a bunch of luck. The men's singles category right now is insane. There are so many good players, there are so many contenders to win. So yeah, the one who wins this one definitely needs to bring his absolute best and maybe better," Antonsen told reporters in the mixed zone at the IG Stadium on Sunday.

Antonsen's optimism is also fuelled by his success at the Thailand Open, where he secured a title he had never won before. With the World Championships following later in the season, he sees that victory as evidence that his best level remains within reach.

"The Thailand Open is definitely the highlight of my year so far and I was super super proud to achieve that title, a title that I have not claimed before in the past. So definitely, I should say, a morale booster. So even though I haven't won the last few tournaments or anything, it's only four tournaments since I won a tournament. So that definitely gives me some hope that my level is there, I just need to bring it," he stated.

What makes the challenge particularly difficult is the absence of an obvious favourite. Antonsen believes the men's singles field has become increasingly open, with players from several countries capable of producing a title-winning run.

"Yeah, everyone just seems to have raised their level. Back in the days, there was maybe one or two clear favorites. It's not really like that anymore. There are so many competitors from all different nations. So I think that's very exciting, actually, that it's so unpredictable. It makes it quite fun. And also the fact that now all of a sudden there's a guy from Canada and then there's a guy from all across the world. There are some great players. So I think that makes the category very, very exciting. Why it is, I don't know. Everyone just seems to get better," he added.

The Dane does not believe the increased attention on him following Viktor Axelsen's departure from international badminton has added to his burden. For Antonsen, the expectations that matter are the ones he places on himself.

"No, I don't feel any additional pressure. The only pressure I feel is the pressure coming from within. I hold myself to high standards and I want to win and claim the biggest titles. I don't care what everyone else says or what the media says. So expectations from anyone else than myself doesn't really matter. I don't really feel that," the Dane said.

The competitiveness of the men's singles circuit has also changed how Antonsen approaches the opening rounds of major tournaments. He said players can no longer afford to treat the early stages simply as a period to settle into the competition.

"Of course, it is definitely. If you can become very stable in your mentality, you'll have a shot at winning. And if you're not 100% there, you're just out in the first round, most likely. So you really need to bring it every single time, every single match, where back in the days, I might have had a feeling like the first one, two rounds was like get into the tournament. And then it really became serious from that point on. Now it's just from from the very first match that you need to bring your absolute best," the World No. 3 expressed.

— IANS