Laid low by a back injury that saw him out of action for three months, Alex Lanier has recovered in time for the world’s premier junior event.
At last year’s edition, arriving as the top seed, Lanier admitted to feeling the weight of expectations. This year it’s different.
“I had an injury just before the Worlds, so I had to stop for three months,” said the Frenchman, after leading his country to a 5-0 win in Group F at the BWF World Junior Mixed Team Championships 2023. “I want to just get the feeling, get my level back. I feel there’s pressure, but my focus is more to be back on court, play well and get the sensation."
“The fracture was in my lower back. It happened in June, so I didn’t have much time. I had only three weeks to get ready for the Worlds. It’s not the best situation, but I will play with this. I feel all right, I just need to get confident in my game.”
Considered one of Europe’s brightest talents in men’s singles, Lanier has turned out for his country at the Thomas Cup and Sudirman Cup while still in his teens. He has yet to play on the upper rungs of the HSBC BWF World Tour, but has had reasonable success at the lower tier, winning the Polish Open and finishing runner-up at the Estonian International this year.
The injury, frustrating as it was, enabled him to reconnect with family and friends as he wasn’t allowed intense physical activity.
“I couldn’t move much, so I couldn’t do badminton. It was rest time. I stopped watching Instagram because it was too hard for me to watch people perform. I was on my bed doing nothing so it was frustrating. I tried to cut everything and tried my best to forget this time. The rest of the time I went to see family and friends because I don’t see them that much.”
Hailing from Caen, on the northwestern coast of France, Lanier’s favourite activity away from badminton is to run on the beach.
“I’m from a city with a beach, so it’s nice to go there and run on the beach and feel there’s nature around you. I feel that brings you fresh air and peace. Around Spokane also there’s nature so we did a bit of running here. For me it’s most important to refresh the brain and get this feeling that I’m in a good way.”