Lakshya Sen's stunning 'behind-the-back¡¯ shot gets rave reviews¡ªbut did you know he was struggling at the start of the year?

Lakshya Sen delivered a stunning performance in his final group game yesterday, defeating World Number 3 Jonatan Christie in straight sets.

Sen's jaw-dropping "behind-the-back" shot was so spectacular that even industrialist Anand Mahindra couldn't resist commenting, quipping, "If I was his opponent, I would cry foul & file a suit claiming that I was confronted by an unnatural opponent who possessed three arms¡­ "

If I was his opponent, I would cry foul & file a suit claiming that I was confronted by an unnatural opponent who possessed three arms¡­

?

??????pic.twitter.com/4p5EsPNxyV

¡ª anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) July 31, 2024

It wasn't just Anand Mahindra¡ªpraise for Sen has been pouring in from all corners:

- 22 years old.
- First Olympics.
- Down to 2-8 in first set.
- Then won first & second set.

WHAT A WIN BY LAKSHYA SEN & QUALIFY INTO ROUND OF 16. ?? pic.twitter.com/EfMmy9bP5Y

¡ª Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 31, 2024

Prakash Padukone to Lakshya Sen after 1st set: Aaj tumhara din he, believe in yourself and defeat him.

GOATed words of encouragement ? pic.twitter.com/yiUFxPLa38

¡ª Johns (@JohnyBravo183) July 31, 2024

LAKSHYA SEN YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ??

WOW ,What a time to pull off a behind-the-back shot in the middle of a furious flat exchange, and to eventually win the rally to set up game point. THAT IS SENsational. ?#Badminton #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/0UbLf50y5J

¡ª Saurabh kumar (@Saurabhk0096) July 31, 2024

#Badminton #Paris2024 #Olympics

Lots of love for a couple of unreal Lakshya Sen shots today, so a good time to bring this video back from December 2021... when he left Viktor Axelsen a bit stunned. ??pic.twitter.com/b4M8sJkQpO

¡ª Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) July 31, 2024

While everyone's praising Sen and rightly so, few know that at the start of this year, Lakshya Sen was grappling with significant challenges.

His childhood coach, Vimal Kumar, had shared in an ESPN interview from January, "At the moment, he is low on confidence and he's not playing the right game."

Once a world junior No. 1 and decorated with titles like the 2018 Asian Junior Championships gold and a 2022 Commonwealth Games gold, Sen faced a tough period following a deviated nasal septum surgery in September of the same year and coaching challenges.

Sen parted ways with coach Anup Sridhar in January. Former India international Anup had joined the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru in 2022 to coach Lakshya Sen. However, they decided to part ways mutually after not meeting their set targets.

Post this, he reunited with his childhood coach Kumar and since then, Sen has been on a quest to reclaim his form.

Kumar noted that Sen's struggle was more mental than physical, emphasising, "He's a little anxious, and every athlete goes through this. It's about finding solutions and converting training into victories."

Sen's recent victory over World Number 3 Jonatan Christie not only signifies his return to form but also highlights his resilience.

Lakshya Sen/ ANI

After a challenging period, this triumph and the awe-inspiring shots, including a stunning "behind-the-back" shot, mark a significant comeback.

Speaking after the match, Sen said, "I was just trying to build up for a good event and I'm really pumped up to fight every match and every point."

Here's hoping this success is just the beginning, and a medal is right around the corner!

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.