French badminton star Alex Lanier burst onto the international scene when he won the major World Tour tournament, the Japan Open, at just 19 years old.
He has since become an established name and is currently ranked 10th in the world.
The young French star is not just winning matches. He’s doing it with a fearless playing style, confidence, and composure, which is catching global attention. Lanier's success is also part of France's reputation as a growing force in international badminton.
However, despite all the success, Lanier is struggling with his motivation, and he is now planning to reach out to two-time Olympic winner Viktor Axelsen, who recently brought down the curtain on his impressive career, to ask for his advice in this difficult situation.
"He's definitely an example of how to be consistent and stay motivated. That's definitely one of his strengths. I've seen him win some really wild games where he was behind by 8-10 points. He should be an example for everyone when it comes to mentality", says Lanier to TV2 Sport.
Lanier lost in the first round of the All England Open earlier in the year as he was knocked out by Victor Lai of Canada in a 21-12, 21-23, 23-21 defeat, and that loss has left the young Frenchman mentally deflated.
"After that, the fire inside me burned out a bit, and that can happen with motivation over the course of a year. It's something I have to learn to deal with. I've lacked motivation. It's harder to play when you don't have the fire burning inside. And the motivation", says Lanier, who is currently in action at the Thomas Cup in Denmark.
Lanier and France play their final group match on Tuesday night against Indonesia.