New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Chen Yu Fei has won Olympic gold and established herself among the world’s elite, but one prize continues to elude her. Yet as the Chinese star returns to the World Championships in pursuit of that elusive gold, she believes the biggest challenge is not an opponent; it is herself.
“The biggest obstacle is myself. If I can conquer myself, then everything will be fine,” Chen told reporters on the sidelines of the BWF World Championships here at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.
Chen came agonisingly close to the world title last year, reaching the final in Paris before losing to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. She was also stopped by Yamaguchi in the China Open final, while her 2026 season has seen her reach the finals of the Thailand Open and Malaysia Masters and the semi-finals of the Singapore and Indonesia Opens.
But Chen is refusing to allow those near-misses, or the idea of completing her collection of major titles, to become an additional source of pressure. “You must have faith and don’t care about anything else. It is just enough,” she said when asked whether winning the World Championship was now a personal target after coming so close last year.
Chen was also unequivocal when asked whether there was pressure on the Chinese players to reclaim a women’s singles world title that has not been won by a Chinese shuttler since 2011. “There is no such pressure; I just have to do well.”
Her approach is particularly striking given her recent World Championship experience. In Paris last year, Chen battled through the semi-final against then-world No. 1 An Se Young before losing to Yamaguchi in the title decider. She had also suffered an ankle injury in the semi-final, which hampered her in the final.
This time, Chen does not want to think beyond the match immediately in front of her.
When asked about her long rivalry with An Se Young, dating back to their first meeting in 2018, Chen dismissed the temptation to look ahead to another potential encounter. “I don’t think I will be able to meet her this time. So I think I will do my best in every match and try to win. It is about ourselves, how we prepare for the event, not for some specific players.”
That focus is particularly important given that Chen admitted she has not had an ideal build-up to the championships. She said she was “very busy” and spent the previous week largely resting rather than following an intensive tournament-specific preparation schedule.
Her physical condition, too, is not quite at its peak. “It’s better than the last match, but I think it’s not 100%,” Chen said.
The Chinese star also acknowledged that the playing conditions in New Delhi remain uncomfortable, although she feels the situation is significantly better than during the India Open, when conditions and the drift had drawn considerable discussion.
“So about those controversies, it’s much better now. It’s just that the weather is not comfortable.”
Chen’s comments come after another demanding season in which she has repeatedly gone deep into tournaments. She beat PV Sindhu in a marathon China Open second-round contest in July, fighting back from a game down to win 16-21, 22-20, 21-18 in one hour and 29 minutes.
For all the talk around opponents, conditions and the weight of a missing World Championship title, however, Chen keeps returning to the same point: the battle has to be controlled internally.
She does not want to think about the title. She does not want to think about specific opponents. And she certainly does not want the past to dictate what happens in New Delhi.
“The biggest obstacle is myself,” Chen said. “If I can conquer myself, then everything will be fine.”
–IANS
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