Freja Ravn is 18 years old and one of the rising stars from Denmark. She spoke to Badminton Europe in a Question and Answer session.
2019 had a great beginning for Freja Ravn. Together with Amalie Magelund, the young Dane won the RSL Swedish Open in Lund last week.
As well as the recent success of the young pair in Sweden, Ravn/Magelund has also a successful last year to look back at.
In 2018, the pair won the Danish Junior Cup and has been the runner-up at the European Junior Championships, the Eurasia Bulgarian Open Championships and the Bulgarian Junior International Championships.
Freja Ravn took her time to talk to Badminton Europe about her last year, her long-term goals and the pressure of being a top player in the future.
Badminton Europe: Freja, in 2018, you participated in 13 tournaments, and you have been successful in a lot of them. How would you summarise your last year?
Freja Ravn: 2018 has been a good year for me. I am happy with what I have achieved, together with Amalie. I participated in so many tournaments that I did not have time to get bored, that is for sure.
You also participated in BWF World Tour tournaments, such as the Dutch and the Denmark Open. In both, you and Amalie have been knocked out in the first round. What were your expectations before those two tournaments?
I wanted to play the best I can. I knew that my opponents are top players, so it would be a difficult task for me to beat them. But I hoped to play some good matches anyway. I mean it is always fun to play tournaments at such a high level. So, I just wanted to go on court, enjoy it and hoped for the best.
You are one of Denmark’s biggest talents at the moment. Do you feel pressured sometimes?
Yes, there is a lot of pressure on my shoulders - not only externally, but especially from myself. I want to improve constantly and am not satisfied when I do not feel or see any progress. But I believe that this pressure helps me to improve my way of playing badminton.
What are your plans for the future?
I hope to develop my game style and to get a higher ranking. I primarily play in Women’s Doubles, but I also enjoy playing and practising Women’s Singles. I also want to participate in the World and European Championships in the future. One of my ultimate aims is to qualify for the Olympic Games someday.