Beating Top Players Reinforces Belief That We Can Be World No. 1: Treesa Jolly

Buoyed by the World Tour Finals qualification, Indian women’s doubles player Treesa Jolly now dreams of bagging a major title, and said victories over top players have reinforced her belief of achieving the world No. 1 ranking along with Gayatri Gopichand.

Treesa and Gayatri, ranked 16th in the world, are the only Indians set to compete in the prestigious event in China next month.

"One of our dreams is to win the Super 500, 750 BWF World Tour events. We’ve been waiting for that title for a long time, and I believe it will happen," Treesa told PTI.

In 2022 and 2023, Treesa and Gayatri reached the semifinals of the All England Championships, a Super 1000 event, and they also made it to the semifinals of the Singapore Open Super 750 this year.

"We’re taking it one step at a time. Right now, our focus is on the Syed Modi tournament. After that, we’ll shift our focus to the World Tour Finals," said Treesa.

The Indians were runners-up in the Syed Modi tournament in 2022, and in the same year they also clinched the Odisha Open.

"Ultimately, our goal is to improve our ranking and move into the top 10, or even the top 5. Currently, we're ranked 16th, but the priority is to perform well in every match and every tournament." The Commonwealth Games bronze medalists have delivered some big wins, including a crucial victory over the 2022 All England champions Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida of Japan in the semifinals of the Badminton Asia Team Championships, helping India grab the title.

"Whenever we lose a match, we analyse what went wrong, plan our sessions carefully, and stay focused on the upcoming match. We always give 100% effort," Treesa explained.

"Playing against top-ranked players helps us understand how to approach those kinds of matches. We learn a lot, and I truly believe there’s a lot to gain from those experiences.

"This year, we managed to beat players ranked No. 2 and No. 6 in the world, which has been a huge confidence booster. Beating top-ranked players reinforces our belief that we can reach the top, even No. 1, with right practice and dedication. Every time we win against such players, our confidence grows stronger." The pair, who started playing together after the Covid-19 pandemic, credits back-to-back semifinal finishes for building self-belief.

"We just paired up and started playing without overthinking it. Gradually, we started getting results, and before we knew it, we were at the All England," said Treesa, who hails from Cherupuzha in Kerala.

"That first All England was incredible. We were so excited—it was surreal to play in a tournament we had only seen on TV. We didn’t focus on the result, just played our game, and somehow, we made it to the semifinals.

"By the second All England, we were better prepared. Reaching the semifinals again showed us how close we were to the finals. Those performances boosted our confidence and made us realise that we can do this," she added.

Reflecting on their journey, Treesa emphasized the importance of remaining in the arc of improvement.

"We’ve improved a lot, but there’s still work to do. Every aspect of our game needs attention—whether it’s the backcourt or other areas. We need to strengthen both our strong points and address our weak spots," she said.

Although they missed out on a berth in the Paris Olympics, with Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa representing India based on the world rankings, Treesa expressed admiration for her fellow players.

"In the 2020 Olympics, India didn’t have a women’s doubles team, so it’s a huge achievement for us to have one this time. I’m proud that the women’s doubles team from India is competing in Paris. Of course, we were sad about missing out, but at the same time, it was great to see our fellow players qualify." Treesa remained hopeful about future opportunities.

"Maybe we need to push harder. We’ll keep working on our game, and who knows? The next Olympics could be our moment. We’re hopeful," she signed off.