Jonatan Christie admitted he failed to manage the pressure, resulting in his defeat by Canadian athlete Victor Lai in the final of the 2026 Indonesia Open at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan.
"From the start of the match, there was a lot of pressure. The tension was palpable. I don't think I was able to handle that pressure well on the court today," Jonatan said in a post-match press conference.
Jonatan lost 19-21, 8-21 in 39 minutes, thus failing to realize his dream of winning the Indonesia Open.
Jonatan's statement dismissed the notion that the yellow card he received in the second game was the turning point of the match.
According to him, the main factor that influenced his performance was actually his own inability to handle the immense pressure in the Super 1000 tournament.
Throughout the week, Jonatan had been confident in reaching his first final at the Indonesia Open, but against Victor, who was enjoying his best form, he struggled to find his rhythm.
In the first game, Jonatan still put up a tough fight before losing 19-21. However, in the second game, Victor grew in confidence and dominated the match, winning 21-8.
