Former world No. 1 doubles player Mathias Boe opened up about several aspects of his badminton career, from dealing with nerves and recovering from difficult spells during matches to managing finances and deciding whether to pursue the sport professionally.
Speaking during a community Q&A, Boe offered advice that goes beyond badminton technique, particularly on how players can handle the mental challenges that come with competitive sport.
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1. Boe’s approach to physical training
During his playing career, Boe regularly trained with the national team’s weightlifting sessions. He particularly focused on squats, which helped him develop strength in his legs.
He deliberately avoided becoming too muscular in the upper body. According to Boe, badminton requires strength while maintaining mobility and rotation, making excessive upper-body muscle counterproductive.
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2. His advice on money for athletes
Boe believes athletes should maintain a relatively simple lifestyle when they begin earning significant money.
He advocated saving and investing rather than constantly increasing spending. For him, financial freedom is more valuable than simply accumulating more money.
Being able to travel, take holidays, dine out and enjoy life without being forced to work was what he considered true financial freedom.
3. Mathias Boe on dealing with nerves before matches
Boe revealed that he was often nervous before matches, despite having competed at the highest level for many years.
According to the Dane, nervousness is a natural reaction when you genuinely care about what you are doing. Rather than attempting to eliminate the feeling completely, players should learn to compete while being nervous.
His advice is to have a plan ready for those moments. Players can focus on their opponents, their tactical plan or small details around them to bring their attention away from the nerves.
Boe believes it is unrealistic to expect nerves to disappear completely. Instead, reducing their impact even slightly can help a player perform better.
4. ‘The perfect game doesn’t exist’
Boe also discussed how players can recover when a match starts slipping away.
A player may begin making mistakes, moving slowly or feeling that their decision-making has deteriorated. Instead of being surprised by the change, Boe recommends having a backup plan.
For example, if a player notices that they are moving slowly, they can consciously focus on moving their feet quicker and attacking the shuttle more aggressively. He also stressed that mistakes are unavoidable.
“The perfect game doesn’t exist,” is the essence of Boe’s message. Even during his long career, he felt there was almost always something that could have been done better.
The key is therefore to accept the ups and downs of a match and make small adjustments rather than allowing mistakes to spiral.
5. When should a player pursue professional badminton?
Boe believes young players should follow their passion but remain realistic.
He himself loved spending time in the badminton hall from a young age, eventually becoming ambitious after moving into doubles and seeing a pathway towards competing at the highest level.
However, he warned that not everyone has the facilities, coaching or level required to become a professional. Players should test themselves through tournaments and training opportunities before making major commitments.
Boe also recommends having a backup plan, particularly because only the very top badminton players earn enough to secure significant financial rewards from the sport.
His overall message is simple: follow the sport because you love it, work hard, but remain realistic about where that path can take you.
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