Treesa Jolly’s journey from a modest badminton court in Cherupuzha to a World Championships medal has taken another historic turn.

The 23-year-old from Kannur became the first Malayali woman to secure a medal at the BWF World Championships after she and Gayatri Gopichand stunned second-seeded Chinese pair Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the women’s doubles quarter-final on Friday.

The unseeded Indian pair recovered from losing the opening game to win 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 in one hour and nine minutes. The victory took them into the semi-finals and guaranteed India at least a bronze medal.

For Treesa, the achievement comes after years of training, travel, injuries and a start far removed from the country’s established badminton academies.

A badminton court built at home

Treesa grew up in Cherupuzha, where her father Jolly Mathew worked as a physical education teacher and coached the local girls’ volleyball team.

With limited money available for professional coaching and equipment, her father built a makeshift court at home. A tarpaulin sheet was used to cover it during the monsoon.

Treesa started playing badminton when she was five. By seven, she had finished runner-up in Kerala’s Under-11 competition. She went on to win several age-group titles despite being trained initially by her father.

At 13, the family decided she needed to leave home for better training. She subsequently worked with Dr Anil Ramachandran, sports director at Kannur University, before joining the Pullela Gopichand Academy in 2020.

The partnership that changed her career

At the academy, Treesa moved to doubles full-time and was paired with Gayatri, daughter of former All England champion and national coach Pullela Gopichand.

The combination quickly began producing results.

In 2022, Treesa and Gayatri won a Super 100 title in Odisha and reached the All England semi-finals. They later won a bronze in women’s doubles and a silver in the mixed team event at the Commonwealth Games.

Those two medals made Treesa the first Malayali athlete to win two medals at a single Commonwealth Games edition.

Her progress also earned her a place in the Kerala government’s State Goods and Services Tax Department. In August this year, she was named among the sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award 2025.

Injury, comeback and a bigger breakthrough

Treesa’s progress suffered a setback early this year when she injured her ankle while preparing for the Asia Badminton Championships and Uber Cup.

After rehabilitation, the pair returned at the Indonesia Open, followed by the US Open. They then won the Philippine International Challenge earlier this month.

Their World Championships campaign has now produced their biggest result yet.

The quarter-final was particularly significant because Jia and Zhang had beaten the Indians in all three of their previous meetings.

Treesa and Gayatri also fell behind early in each of the first two games. They responded with sustained attacking play, strong flat exchanges and pressure at the net.

In the deciding game, they established an 11-5 lead and maintained control despite a few nervous moments towards the finish.

India’s last World Championships medal in women’s doubles came in 2011, when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze.

Treesa and Gayatri will now face the top-seeded Chinese pair in the semi-finals. Whatever the result, India is assured of a women’s doubles medal.

For Treesa, the road from a homemade court in northern Kerala has reached its biggest stage yet.