New Delhi, Dec. 7 -- For most of 2025, Lakshya Sen was trying to put the jagged pieces of the puzzle in place. There were times when he was lacking physically, others when he struggled mentally. Heartbreak at the Paris Olympics seemed to be the epicentre of the crisis. It finally dawned on Sen that he had to take the time to heal. The prodigy had to learn about patience.

"At some point, I had to really sit back and think that okay, if it takes me another 10 tournaments, another 20 tournaments, I am ready to do that," Sen told select media last week. "I took a step back from that and just started enjoying the training, enjoying the process again."

The subtle mental shift saw him close out a difficult year on a high. On 23 November, the 2...