Lakshya Sen's Struggle Post-Olympics

Lakshya Sen, the star performer of Indian badminton at the Paris Olympics, now finds himself mired in a challenging phase. Despite an impressive run in Paris, where he finished fourth and was inches away from securing a bronze medal, Sen's recent form has raised eyebrows in the national sporting fraternity.

In Tokyo's Japan Masters, Sen faced a tough defeat against world no. 31 Leong Jun Hao, despite having had the upper hand several times throughout their 75-minute long match. What fans find alarming is that this loss extends Sen's winless run following his successful Olympic expedition.

After a break of two months post-Olympics, Sen resumed his training at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Salzburg and participated in the European tour in October. However, he faced two early exits in the Arctic Open Super 500 and Denmark Open Super 750, wherein both matches, he was leading initially but lost eventually.

Moving forward, the 23-year-old needs to work on closing out matches when in advantageous positions and avoid squandering his lead. The recent defeats may only be isolated instances, but they demand careful analysis as they come from a player considered as a future champion. It will be crucial to see how Sen navigates this phase and reinstates his prowess on the court.