Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (Annie’s photo)
New Delhi: Indian men’s badminton duo Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy ended a 742-day wait for a BWF World Tour title by winning the Singapore Open. The former world number one duo was able to come from behind to defeat Indonesians Fajr Alfian and Mohammad Shahibul Fikri 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 in the final. It was their third Super 750 title and the reward after a difficult period that included injuries, four final losses and eight semi-final exits.
Despite not having won a title for more than two years, Chirag dismissed suggestions that the pair had become inconsistent.“I don’t call it inconsistency. I think, on the contrary, we have been quite consistent. To say that the number three in the world is inconsistent, I think everyone else after number one should stop playing badminton,” Chirag said.He explained that injuries and being away from competition affected their rhythm and not their quality. The duo even dropped to No. 27 in the world in June 2025 before climbing back to No. 3 by November.“Yes, obviously everyone goes out there to win. Likewise for us, we wanted to go out there and win titles. But it wasn’t like we couldn’t, it wasn’t that we were playing poorly or anything like that. But maybe some days luck wasn’t on our side.”
Satwik also cited injuries as a major challenge but said they are a normal part of elite sport. “It’s an integral part of the game. It’s not like nobody’s going to get injured,” he said.The Singapore Open win came after the duo expressed their disappointment at the lack of interest in their badminton exploits, including a Thomas Cup bronze medal for India. Chirag welcomed the increased coverage but said the sport deserved regular recognition.The duo also credited coaches Mathias Boe and Tan Kim Her for helping with match planning and tactical preparation. Looking ahead to the World Championships and the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, confidence is high.“On a good day, we can beat anyone,” Satwik said.For now, the duo are focusing on maintaining their form, with Chirag saying: “Things are going well now.”