Boria Majumdar
A World Championship silver medallist in 2021, and ranked No. 1 in the world back in 2018, Kidambi Srikanth was once at the vanguard of India’s men’s badminton charge. But a succession of injuries and poor form had seen his ranking plummet. Now 32, Srikanth is on the comeback trail. He made it to the final of the Malaysia Masters, upsetting highly ranked opponents along the way. In this exclusive chat with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz editor-in-chief, he lays out his plans for the future.
Boria: Your first thoughts on qualifying for the final (Malaysia Masters 2025)?
Srikanth Kidambi: A week back, I was [ranked] 80 or something, and the fact that I have not played since the second half of last year, I have lost quite a lot of points and the ranking has dropped. But again, I have just not played tournaments, so it’s fine, as long as I know I can get back when if I play again. And this obviously, shows that I am on the right path. And I am very happy to be through to the final. It has been really tough, it’s not easy to play two matches on a single day. You know, pull out those two matches and to reach the finals, so I am just very happy with the way the whole week was for me. Obviously, there are quite a lot of positives and quite a lot of things to learn from this week also. So will work on them after I go back.
Boria: You always had the talent, it has been an enigmatic career from the time you and I watched that match in Rio together. And 32 is no age, you still have the game left in you. Are you still hungry for more? Has marriage kind of put you in a better mental space mentally?
Srikanth: I obviously always had it but also, it’s just probably because of that Olympic qualification and everything – maybe I overtried little bit and sometimes it is good, sometimes it is bad. I had to take some break with all the injuries. I fell during the Singapore Open last year and the recovery took longer than I expected. Now just happy and physically feeling better, and it is now just about keeping myself fit and playing tournaments.
Boria: We talk about mental health of elite high-performance sports people. Is it better after marriage with your wife travelling with you and to have someone that understands you and someone that you share a bond with? Are you in a better mental space in that sense as well personally?
Srikanth: I would say yes up to a point because everything Is sorted, there are people to look after you. I am just 6 months into the wedding, so both of us are slowly getting to know each other. But obviously, mentally, I am in a better space.
Boria: Going forward what’s the next plan?
Srikanth: I am going back to Hyderabad and then I am playing US Open and Canada Open in June-July, so that’s it for now. And then, depending upon those performances there, I will try and see what is to be done.
Catch the whole interview here:
EXCLUSIVE:
Kidambi Srikanth opens up on his road to the finals after a tough phase, injury recovery, mental health, marriage, and what drives him to still give his all for India in this heartfelt interview.@BoriaMajumdar @srikidambi @BAI_Media @aktivolabs #KidambiSrikanth… pic.twitter.com/x3j8pqh1A3
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) May 26, 2025
Boria: The India challenge is still there? Whether it is Thomas Cup, Asian Games etc.. is it still very much burning in you to do it for India? I know the Super Series is also for India, but doing it in a multi-nation tournament. How does that feel?
Srikanth: In the last 12-15 years, I have always said this. See, Super Series is a 50-50, like 50% for yourself and 50% maybe for the country. But all these multisport games or big games are 90% for the country. Not everyone gets the opportunity to represent the country at that biggest stage. Given an opportunity, I will definitely try and do everything that I can. If I can help my country get a medal, I will do that for sure.
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