"I think that is the target as of now" HS Prannoy looks to break into world top three rankings

Indian badminton star, HS Prannoy has locked in on his brand new target - breaking into the world's top three.

The Keralite, who is currently ranked 9th in the world, has had a superb run in 2023 so far, achieving a career-high ranking of 7 in May earlier in the year. Speaking on his next target with PTI, Prannoy said:

"In the coming months that will be the challenge: to get into the top five, or be in the top three in the world, which I have never been able to do till now. I think that is the target as of now."

Given that the badminton World Championships are creeping closer, one might assume HS Prannoy will have big goals set for himself. However, the 31-year-old has adopted a slightly different mindset:

"Looking forward to the World Championships, we hardly have 10 days. With a hectic schedule, it is tough to get back to 100 per cent in such a short span, but yes, I will try to get my body ready for the World Championships. But I am not really forcing myself in any way saying that I should perform really well in the World Championships, because we have to understand that we have to take care of the body first, because we have a really long season ahead."

With the jam-packed schedule that most players on the BWF circuit battle with, Prannoy's priorities are certainly set right. The Indian has had a busy couple of months, playing back-to-back tournaments in Korea, Japan, and Australia.

"To be honest, we had three back-to-back tournaments -- Korea, Japan and Australia. I had a good three weeks of tournaments. Korea was also good but conditions were tricky, I couldn't go past quarters. Japan and Australia were very good, I played some good matches against top players and to reach a final of a third tournament is always tough physically and mentally."

Given the toll these tournaments are bound to have taken on HS Prannoy, staying injury-free is a very important detail for the shuttler, especially with the 2024 Olympics approaching.

The Indian emphasized the fact that badminton players are required to perform throughout the year, as opposed to certain sports that have a singular qualification mark like timings or numbers.

"We will have to play the entire year and it is as simple as that, by the end of April 2024, you will have to be in the top 16 in the world, you have to be in the top two from the country. But it is very hectic with the number of tournaments we have, we have to plan well in advance. We have to be very sure about which events we have to play, that is the pressure," Prannoy said.

HS Prannoy on improving his mental prowess

One of the most striking changes that have been visible in Prannoy on court recently is certainly his mental strength.

While the Indian has been known as a "giant-killer" given his capability to take down those ranked higher than him, consistency wasn't always his strong suit.

Speaking on this new development in his game, world number 9 said:

"The last few years, there had been a lot of changes. I have a team of people who are helping me with a lot of things. One thing is to train the mental side of it, how to get tougher and how to not leave off the situation. It was happening in the past where a lot of tough situations used to come against certain players and you are never in a mental state to fight against them. Those kinds of things have changed in the recent past."

This change in training has certainly paid off, given that Prannoy is India's highest-ranked men's singles player at the moment.

His improved mental tenacity has also allowed Prannoy to bounce back from multiple first-game losses this season.

"I have been able to work on it and that's why there have been a lot of matches where I have lost the first game and been able to come back in second and third game and still been able to win matches. We are working on it, to deal with those kinds of situations, that's why probably there has been a change in my game."

With multiple big badminton events lined up in the second half of the season, fans of HS Prannoy will certainly hope that his form continues and translates into more podium finishes.