World No. 7 Li Shifeng arrived at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi on 15 August with a clear-eyed view of what it means to compete inside one of badminton's most formidable national squads — and he refuses to frame it as pressure. Speaking at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, the 26-year-old Chinese shuttler said the concentration of elite talent within China's men's singles setup is a collective advantage, not an individual burden.

China's Men's Singles Depth

China's current men's singles roster is widely regarded as the deepest in the world. Li Shifeng competes alongside world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi and fellow top-ranked shuttlers Weng Hongyang and Lu Guangzu, forming a group that dominates the upper reaches of the global rankings. That internal competition, Li argued, sharpens rather than stifles.

'There are many top-ranked Chinese players in the world, so I don't feel any pressure. I think we are helping each other and improving together. We are encouraging each other to play as a team,' Li told reporters on the sidelines of the championships.

Thomas Cup Form and Self-Assessment

Li enters the World Championships on the back of a successful Thomas Cup campaign in May, where China retained the title by beating France 3-1 in the final. He contributed important wins during the run, including a group-stage victory over India's Lakshya Sen. He did, however, suffer a defeat to France's Alex Lanier in the final itself — a result he has used as motivation rather than a setback to dwell on.

Notably, Li was candid about his recent form heading into the tournament. 'I didn't play very well in the last two games, so the most important thing is to train well,' he said, signalling a self-critical approach that prioritises process over result.

Preparation Focused on Self, Not Opponents

Rather than building his pre-tournament preparation around opponent analysis, Li described a philosophy centred on executing his own game. 'The basic mental state or the underlying notion was not opposition-centric. It is basically about giving our best and applying whatever we have prepared, including the specific tactics we have prepared for that,' he explained.

This approach reflects a broader pattern among elite Chinese shuttlers, who are typically coached to trust their training systems over reactive game-planning — a method that has produced consistent World Championship results for the country.

Venue and Playing Conditions

After training sessions at the revamped Indira Gandhi Stadium, Li expressed satisfaction with the playing environment. 'The size of the court is really good. I feel like the drift and everything, the weather including that, everything is very well maintained and very good as compared to the last time,' he said, indicating an improvement over his previous experience at the New Delhi venue.

As the championships get under way, Li's ability to translate a settled preparation into match-day execution will be the key test — and, by his own account, the only pressure he is choosing to acknowledge.