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

Treesa Jolly & Gayatri Gopichand

A mature mindset is aiding Treesa; Gayatri keeps honing her strength in creating openings for her partner

Some years really feel like a treadmill run. You clock the mileage, break proper sweat, step off it, and you’re still right there. But something gets stronger within, Gayatri Gopichand reckons.

India’s only winners at the Syed Modi Super 300 in Lucknow last weekend, shuttlers Treesa Jolly-Gayatri both dread the ‘Running Days’ at the Hyderabad Pullela Gopichand academy. It used to be slotted for Wednesday once, but now running sessions happen on multiple days, and like every elite shuttler put through this grind, the duo can gladly grumble about the runs. Gayatri cagily admits, Treesa bluntly declares, “Whatever is on court, I like to do everything. If it’s off-court, it’s a little tough for me. I feel a little lazy to run.”

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.”