Victor Lai has set his sights on becoming the world No. 1 but the young Canadian shuttler knows the established stars will not make his climb easy.
The 21-year-old, who was ranked 22nd at the start of the year and has since climbed to world No. 7, believes a new generation of men’s singles players is emerging, with several young shuttlers ready to challenge the established order at the top.
“Of course, my ambition is No. 1. Now, I’m No. 7 and there’s still a long way to go,” Lai said after his match on Thursday.
“These guys, the top guns, have been at the top for such a long time and they won’t give away the spot too easily. Now that there are so many young guys like Alwi (Farhan), Ayush (Shetty), Panitchaphon (Teeraratsakul) and also Alex Lanier, there is always something to learn from these young guys.”
Rather than seeing the rise of his peers as an obstacle, Lai welcomed the prospect of a battle among the young players.
“They won’t make it easy for any of us to reach the top. So it’s going to be a nice battle to see five, six, seven young guys go to the top together.”
Lai’s own rise has been accompanied by a growing belief that he belongs among the world’s best. He became the first Canadian to win a Super 1000 title when he triumphed at the Indonesia Open earlier this year.
“I have played more, gaining experience every game, every match. I have always been out there and been kind of an underdog. No experience, no expectations,” he said.
“Slowly as I build and build, I’m starting to get that belief that I can compete against top guys. Every win against a top-32 player, it’s important for my mental growth.”
His breakthrough in India came at the India Open, where he reached the semifinals of the Super 750 event — his first appearance in the last four at that level.
“India was a small breakthrough for me, the first time making a semis at a higher-level tournament. So I was really happy as I got a lot of confidence from that,” he said.
Lai has also enjoyed the familiarity of having his home coach with him at the World Championships after missing the presence of a familiar voice at the India Open.
“I have always had more support. It’s really nice to have a home coach here,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed)
