Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have signed off from the BWF World Championships 2026 with a historic bronze medal, ending India’s 15-year wait for a women’s doubles medal at the tournament. The Indian pair produced one of the biggest performances of their careers in New Delhi, stunning fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the quarter-finals before their run ended against the world No. 1 Chinese pair in the last four.
In an exclusive conversation with Boria Majumdar on RevSportz, Treesa and Gayatri spoke about their memorable campaign, the emotions of securing a podium finish at a World Championship and much more.
While the world will certainly talk about former badminton star and national team chief coach Pullela Gopichand, who also happens to be Gayatri’s father, Treesa spoke about the support provided by other members of the team, including Sumit Reddy and Kiran.
“They were a very big support system in every match,” she said. “From what we eat to our proper recovery, they took care of everything. They have done their job very well and even when I came back from an injury, during that rehab phase, they took care of every minute detail. So, I think we had a great team.”
When Boria asked Gopichand about celebrations, given that the bronze was India’s only podium finish at the tournament, he said, with a laugh: “Yes, we will celebrate, but they will train.”
With the Asian Games coming up in just 20 days and the focus soon shifting to Olympic qualification after that, it is indeed going to be a busy and crucial calendar. Gayatri said: “Yes, we will celebrate for sure. But then, I think we have to get back on court because the Asian Games are like 20 days away.”
Speaking about the confidence that this recent performance will give them going forward, Gayatri said: “I think we have been playing some really good badminton and this has really set the momentum for us. There are a lot of things we should work on and there is a lot to take back from this tournament.”
Treesa also spoke about becoming an inspiration and a beacon of hope for the next generation.
“When I was younger, I remember Saina Di (Saina Nehwal) inspired me when I saw her at the 2012 Olympics,” she said. “So maybe it is the same now. But maybe we need to promote women’s doubles more. I also shifted from singles to doubles, so did Gayatri, despite doing well there, and I think this has been one of our best decisions. It has made this amazing partnership. We believe in each other immensely.”
Reflecting on this, Gayatri added: “During lockdown, I was playing singles at a very decent level. Then we had a thought of starting doubles. A lot of singles players that I talk to right now also express the wish that they had moved to doubles five years ago. So, I feel I made the move at the right time.
“But many still think that one cannot have a career in doubles. However, with time, this mindset is shifting. People now look up to Satwik-Chirag, Dhruv-Tanisha. I just hope we inspire the young ones to choose what they like.”
When asked about the kind of power Treesa is able to generate and how she keeps smashing with the same intensity match after match, Treesa confidently admitted that she is a good hitter.
“This time, when we came to the World Championships, we played more rotation games, so it was different,” said Treesa. “I thought I could only play in the back court. Even during practice sessions, I was really confused, but Gopi Sir’s guidance really helped. I had to rotate a lot more from the front court to the back court.”
She also spoke about the changes in their game style.
“I think that is what made this tournament successful,” she said. “Working on every aspect. Only hitting will not bring you success. You need to work on your variations and rotations as well – one needs to be an all-rounder to be able to succeed.”
Gayatri also spoke about the calmness and poise she is able to maintain on court, despite the nerves.
“I am a person like that in general, but the emotions only come out after a match.”
She also spoke about her father’s role in their success and the importance his physical presence holds.
“Both of us are super confident when he is sitting there behind us and we absolutely trust him blindly,” she said. “Whatever he says, we are going to do it because we have that kind of confidence in him. I am just so grateful that he gets to travel with us everywhere and it is a very special moment for me.
“Even at home, we have this new machine now for workouts and he uses it more than me. He will randomly get up and do a few push-ups and squats in the middle of a movie,” she said with a laugh, highlighting her father’s desire to stay fit and disciplined even now.
As the interview drew to a close, the duo was reminded to savour the moment – from standing on the World Championships podium to watching the Tricolour go up on the biggest stage. With the Asian Games in Japan now another major target, Treesa and Gayatri have the chance to build on a breakthrough that could mark the beginning of something special.
Transcribed by Mohor Chaudhuri
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The post “We Need to Promote Women’s Doubles More”: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand on Their Historic World Championships Bronze appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
