Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s record-breaking 2023 season came to an end in a manner most unlike the breakthrough pair – a loss in the final.
It was the Indian men’s doubles pair’s first final loss since October 2019, ending a streak of eight straight final wins, five of them coming this year. It was an incredible record that ended in an incredible final at the China Masters 750 – where the top-seeded duo saved six straight match points out of seven, only to lose to the world No. 1 Chinese pair of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang 21-19 18-21 21-19. As narrow as margins can get.
The rare runner-up finish drew the curtains on a storied season for Satwik and Chirag, one in which they achieved pinnacles previously unheard of in Indian badminton: An Asian Games gold. A Super 1000 title. The World No. 1 rank. In addition to that — six titles, a career-best ranking and a much-awaited ‘revenge’.
“[2023 was a] fantastic year for us, whatever we thought we wanted to do, we achieved those goals. When we started 2023, we wanted to win a medal at the Asian Games and be in the top 2 or 3 in the world. So really happy with that,” Satwik told BWF in the mixed zone after the final.
The Asiad medal turned out to be India’s first-ever badminton gold and they got to the top of world rankings soon after. “The Asian Games win was the most important title of the year, by far. First Super 1000, and the Asian Championships as well as becoming No 1 was important too but definitely, the Asian Games doubles gold and silver in team event stands out,” Chirag added.
That they had to pick the best between these phenomenal records tells most of the story. Yet, Satwik and Chirag didn’t make the cut for the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals where the top 8 of the current year compete for the last major title of the year.
So, how do we look back on a season that soared to newer heights, building on what was already a notably high foundation built in 2022 (where they were ESPN India’s Male Athletes of the Year) but also didn’t finish in the Top 10 annually?
Answer: By looking at their season’s achievements through the lens of their yearly points and absence at the BWF Finals.
The numbers to see aren’t where they finished on the World Tour rankings, but how they climbed to the world No. 1 rank and finished the year as world No. 2 despite early setbacks and often erratic showings.
First things first, how is it possible that they didn’t finish the year as one of the 8 pairs with the most points after six titles?
Simply put: They didn’t have as many points as their opponents because of a combination of injuries, inconsistent starts and the general state of men’s doubles.
Satwik and Chirag have played just 14 tournaments on the BWF Tour with the China Masters and the race to the BWF World Tour finals counts the best 14 tournaments – which means all their results were counted, even the retirements. It may be hard to recollect now, but they suffered injury setbacks early in the season. The defending champions had to give a walkover at the Indian Open in January due to an injury to Satwik and then missed all of February. At the end of March, the pair once again pulled out, this time mid-match at the Madrid Masters, soon after winning the Swiss Open Super 300 and finding their rhythm.
Additionally, the two Asian titles – the gold at the Badminton Asia Championships in April and the Asian Games in October – didn’t count towards BWF points. Add this to the wildly competitive, open and unpredictable landscape of men’s doubles and you can see why the BWF World Tour points won’t tell the whole story.
So, what were the major highlights of Satwik and Chirag’s 2023?
April: They become the first Indian men’s doubles pair ever to win gold at the Badminton Asia Championships. They were only the second Indian gold medallists at the Badminton Asia Championships, and the first in 58 years.
June: They win the Indonesia Open Super 1000 title – the highest tier of titles on the BWF World Tour. The first Indians to win at this level, of course, and in their first-ever Super 1000 final. What made this win even sweeter was that they beat long-time nemeses Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who had an 8-0 record till then against the Indians, in the final. This big title comes after a particularly rough path, where they lost early in three straight tournaments after an injury comeback.
July: They win the Korea Open Super 500 to make it back-to-back titles, despite a gap of a month between both, beating the then world No. 1 pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto for the title.
October: They win India’s first-ever badminton gold at the Asian Games, making it look effortless, even inevitable. This was a week after making light work of the same Chinese men’s doubles pair they lost to in the final, in the men’s team final. Soon after, they become the world’s No. 1 men’s doubles pair. Each of these titles were momentous in their own ways for the two young men and Indian badminton. At 23 and 26 years of age, Satwik and Chirag are still very much in the first, fresh half of their career and their already high trajectory has paved the way for higher rewards and expectations.
Through the last year, they have improved immensely with doubles coach Mathias Boe and now a more regular P. Gopichand in the coaching chair on the sidelines. Their defence, transitions between roles on the court and resilience have seen particular growth since the end of 2022.
In the off-season now, there will be several areas to work on as they head into an even bigger 2024 season. Chief among them would be consistency.
The five titles they won in 2023 are one, bright side of the coin. The other is the four first-round exits and four second-round exits scattered throughout the year (including the retirements). There is one quarterfinal, one semifinal and the last final appearance along with the three titles.
As great as they are in the big matches, the BWF World Tour is formatted such that it takes sustained brilliance week in and week out to stay consistent. The BWF World Tour Finals may not be a goal, not when the next year has the Paris Olympics. But regular mid-to-end week runs on the circuit are one metric of success too. “We are now going into a big year in 2024, we want to rectify a few mistakes, take care of our bodies, manage workload, and play smart badminton as there are a lot of tournaments. 2023 has been amazing, hoping to do well in 2024 as well,” Satwik said, indicating that he hopes to play Wang and Liang again next year. This ‘revenge’ is a friendly but powerful motivation, and they achieved it this year with the Malaysian pair.
The biggest motivation, goal and hope will be only one, though – the Paris Olympics. If the last two seasons are anything to go by, they are only getting better in skill and temperament. Indian badminton, and indeed doubles players all over the world, will be keeping an eye out on this pair.
And there’s one thing that has stayed true through the years – Satwik and Chirag thrive under the spotlight.
