On The Olympics, Their Spicy Combination, And Biryani, Chirag-Satwik

A similar pair is doing the same thing in badminton as Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi did in tennis doubles about 20 years ago. They are 26-year-old Chirag Shetty and almost 23-year-old Satwiksairaj Reddy.

Some people know them as Sat-Chi, and they just won the Indonesia Open, which was their first BWF Super 1000 event. Gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2022 Thomas Cup are just two of their past achievements.

Sat calls Chi “Mini Google” because he always knows what’s going on. Sat is called a “fun-loving guy” by Chi. The world’s No. 3 pair, who are taught by former Danish pro Mathias Boe, talked to Outlook from Hyderabad about how they work together and what they want to achieve.

CHIRAG SHETTY

Why does Satwik call you ‘Mini Google?

I think what he’s really trying to say is that I read a lot. Not books, but news about what’s going on in the world right now.

What other word would you use to describe Satwik?

I can’t really use the same words to describe him. I think he’s a fun guy, and it’s great to be with him.

You are three years older than I am. When you’re in your 20s, three years can be a big age gap. How do you two still get along?

He is from Andhra and I am from Mumbai. So, at first, it was hard because they didn’t speak the same language. The way we were raised was very different. But after a while, we got to know each other a lot better. We grew close to each other. I think that was also one reason why we started playing better.

You’ve won some big events, the most recent being the Indonesia Open. How do you feel about the Olympics coming up?

The long-term goal is to win a medal at the Olympics, but we also want to set short-term goals. The Olympics are next year, but there are some big events this year, like the World Championship and the Asian Games, that happen before the Olympics. So, I think these are the most important goals right now. Also, we want to make sure we qualify for the Olympics before we think about the Olympics.

What are the one or two most important things that Mathias Boe taught you?

On the court, it means to get back on track. We often lose a lot of points at once without realizing what we’re doing wrong. Mathias has taught us to slow down a bit when we start to lose attention and points. It’s better to give away ten points over ten minutes than over two or three minutes. So, our opponents will have to work harder to get their points, and things are more likely to go our way. Off the game, it’s to keep a steady pace and stop when we need to.

Is the hat you always wear a habit or a hunch? Is it always this color?

No, the color changes all the time. It depends on what T-shirt I’m wearing.

As soon as the lockdown was over, I started wearing a cap because my hair had grown out. Even if my hair is short, I can’t see myself playing without a cap now. It’s a part of me now.

SATWIKSAIRAJ RANKIREDDY

How different were your personalities when you were young from Chirag’s?

I spoke Telugu most of the time, but he didn’t know it. He was used to different things because he was from Mumbai, and he liked to go out. On the other hand, I only liked my kind of food, and I was happy to stay in my room and watch a Telugu movie on YouTube. And yet we felt we were similar in some ways.

If he is like a smaller version of Google, what website or app do you use the most?

I mostly watch YouTube. I play PUBG or something like that.

You’ve won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, the Thomas Cup, and now the Indonesia Open. How do you feel about the next year’s Olympics?

We had nothing to lose at the last Olympics. People now have high hopes for us. So it will not be simple. But we don’t want to worry by thinking too far ahead of the Olympics. We just want to have fun and see what happens when we get there.

What are one or two things Mathias taught you that have changed the way you play?

I have only one thing to say. Professionalism.

That means no biryani?

There is always biryani. I can’t live without biryani.

Do you still often have it?

Once a week, I have it.

And Matthias doesn’t mind?

I never brought it up in a talk with him. But it helps me deal with stress.

We saw a picture of you with Novak Djokovic at the Tokyo Olympics. Do you have a lot of respect for him?

I admire Roger Federer.

He has now stopped, and Djokovic has passed him in many ways.

Still, he is a famous person. I don’t put him next to anyone else. Federer and MS Dhoni are not the same thing. They stay calm when things are important. I play the same way. When things get tense on the court, I try to slow down and chill out. Chirag is very different. He’s always pumped up, like Rafael Nadal.