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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty: French connection and courting familiarity
The top Indian badminton pair won their second French Open title at a Paris arena where they will return chasing Olympic glory.
Standing in the Porte de la Chapelle Arena after winning the BWF French Open final earlier this month, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy couldn’t help but smile at the mention of it being the venue of the Olympics. Conveying his joy yet keeping his words in check, Chirag Shetty too momentarily let his feelings flow.
“Obviously, I can't lie,” he said in a BWF interview when asked if it felt special winning an event at the venue which will host the 2024 Paris Olympics. “Paris has always been special for both of us, and we've played some really good badminton here. It's like a second home for us," he added.
The top-ranked Indian pair sure feels at home on the courts of Paris, going by their two BWF French Open titles and their dominance — they did not drop a single game — in the 2024 edition. The courts of Porte de la Chapelle Arena, which opened in 2023, will also host the badminton events of the Paris Games in less than five months.
Venue familiarity and fondness can prove a significant factor across several sports. How big a role does it play in badminton? “It gives a sense of comfort," said former India shuttler Aparna Popat. “You tend to think this city, this venue, this court is lucky for me, and that I did well here. And the fact that they (Satwik-Chirag) have won means that their game is suited to the court. In that sense, psychologically, it plays a huge role.”
Popat brought up examples of Lee Chong Wei and the Malaysia Open, a tournament he has won a record 12 times. And Roger Federer and Wimbledon, where the Swiss is an eight-time champion. “Across sports, you'll find a trend. If a player has won at a particular venue once or twice, they're likely to win it 3-4-5 times. There is a pattern, and that comes because of the psychological boost and the conditions that suit your game," she said.
Conditions, on-court and external, in Paris certainly appear to suit the Indian pair. The French Open has been right up there among Satwik-Chirag's most successful tournaments on the BWF Tour, with one runners-up, one semi-final and two quarter-final finishes to go with the two triumphs. So, even as the variables for the Paris Games will remain — weather, shuttles, etc., — so will the pair’s comfort and confidence on the Porte de la Chapelle Arena courts.
“Conditions in France are suitable to them because the shuttle travels a little faster there. Chirag and Satwik are both attacking players and their game and strength is attacks," said Uday Pawar, Chirag’s childhood coach. “Of course, aspects like weather and the speed of the shuttle, which depends on the conditions in the air, could differ from March to July. But because they have done well there and are comfortable in those conditions, the change might be insignificant. They will be able to adapt quickly," he added.
That would potentially come in handy in the initial rounds at the Paris Games, when nerves could still be fresh. At the Tokyo Games in 2021, Satwik and Chirag went through a difficult opening group match in a close three-game victory before losing their second match. The stuttering start meant they couldn't progress to the quarter-finals.
“At the Olympic level, you need to be at your best from the beginning. So, if you're familiar with those conditions, have the self-belief of doing well there, it allows you to settle in quickly. Such small things matter a lot," Pawar said.
In the chat with BWF after their French Open win, Chirag alluded to the Olympics being some time away. The world No.1s could still go through the fickle changes of form and fitness in that, but what the familiarity of venue could give them is control over preparations leading up to the Games.
“If you’ve got a lot of matches in a particular court before, you know how the court plays out. Which means when you're preparing for another tournament at the same venue, you can prepare, almost do your micro prep, accordingly," Popat said.
“And it’s not just about the court, but also about the stadium in general. The approach to the stadium, the facilities in it, the crowd...you'd find a sense of peace and comfort having done well there.” A Super 750 tournament in Paris and the Olympics in Paris are almost incomparable in terms of scale, hype and pressure. However, carrying all those little ingredients of the feel-good dish cooked at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena this month could serve Satwik and Chirag well in four months’ time.
“When you step into the city, the venue, the court, that feeling is bound to come. It’s a good feeling to carry,” Popat said. "And with the performance and confidence they showed at the French Open, we could smell gold.”
