"We need to play good matches"- Treesa Jolly talks about her plan to qualify for the Paris Olympics [Exclusive]

One of India’s top women’s doubles shuttlers, Treesa Jolly, is on a determined path to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Hailing from Kerala, India, the 20-year-old athlete is no stranger when it comes to performing on the big stage, having reached the semifinals of the prestigious All England Open for two consecutive years.

Despite not having too many significant performances in 2023, the youngster is looking to change things in 2024.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Jolly opened up about her chances for Paris, her plans for the upcoming months, and her on-and-off-court partnership with her doubles partner, Gayatri Gopichand.

Treesa Jolly said that her main focus for the next few months was “playing good matches.” Jolly highlighted the importance of the satisfaction a player receives after a well-played match. Additionally, she added how the satisfaction of beating a good pair gives her the much-needed motivation and belief that she is improving.

“Satisfaction when we play good matches and not only good matches and winning with good players, and I think that makes us like we can think like yeah we improved a [lot] more I think yeah, I think this year that we need to play good matches.”

Turning her attention to the ongoing Olympic qualification process, Jolly acknowledged that all her competitors are working hard, but she also stated that she and her team are also putting in a lot of effort to qualify for Paris.

“I think the Olympics qualification is going on, and everyone is working hard. We are also working hard; everyone is into the Olympics qualification.”

As she navigates the demanding schedule of tournaments, Jolly acknowledged the need for strategic planning.

“I think there are a lot of tournaments, and it's tiring, so we need to be choosy about the tournaments and all going on.”

Anticipating the challenges ahead, Jolly emphasized the importance of being selective with their tournament participation and also talked about the importance of on-court practice and maintaining fitness levels.

“I think it's continuous; I think one month there are continuous tournaments. We do not have that fitness level. I think it would be tiring for everyone if you play continuous tournaments. We need to practice. Every time you play tournaments, you need to take [time out] and spend time for practice. We need to give time for practice. I think there are a lot of tournaments coming in these six months, so we need to be choosy about the tournaments.”

"She's a little funny off-court," - Treesa Jolly on her partner Gayatri Gopichand

Treesa Jolly partnered up with Gayatri Gopichand in 2021. After winning the India International Challenge, their first tournament together, the duo haven’t looked back since, winning several other titles. Opening up about their on-and-off-court partnership, Jolly said,

“I think she's the same off-court; I think she's a little funny off-court. I think she's like that; I think the calmness suits her to play more focused. I think that helps her to be more focused on what's happening on court and what's needed to be done; she's thinking for that.”

She concluded by talking about how their strong bond has been pivotal to their success.

“Of course we have a good bond between both of us. I think the on-court bond, our communication—it's always been—that's what makes us win the tournaments and win the good matches.”