Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, down a game and staring at a third runner-up finish, tore up the script. They stormed back to beat home favourites He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 on Sunday, avenging two painful final losses in 2023 and 2025 to finally win the China Masters.

Satwik credited the win to a marked improvement in their physical conditioning, coming just weeks after a disappointing quarterfinal exit at the badminton World championships at home. “We weren’t sure how our bodies could cope throughout the week in China. But we became much better after the World championships. Our bodies settled down, and we got better. That’s a good sign going forward,” Satwik said during a virtual interaction on Monday.

Chirag added that the physical grind of their run in China had doubled as ideal preparation — mentally and physically — for the final itself.

Through it all, the attack-minded duo remained committed to their game plan. “It’s always Plan A; there is no Plan B for us,” Satwik emphasised.

“The Chinese want to play a fast game, and if you’re playing with Malaysians and Indonesians, they’re not as attacking,” he explained, while also crediting his partner for the pair’s attacking edge.

Their 10th crown on the BWF World Tour gives them a timely confidence boost heading into their Asian Games title defence later this month.

Meanwhile, Chirag, spotted with a belt strapped around his waist during the post-match celebrations, was quick to wave off any fitness concerns ahead of the continental event.

“I’ve been wearing it since the injury at the All England last year. If I get a period of one month, probably in December, when I can have a good stretch of practice, that is when I can try playing without it and see how I feel. Not confident enough until then,” he stressed.

The Commonwealth Games (CWG) have traditionally been one of India’s most productive multi-sport events, with the country consistently returning with a healthy medal haul. But at Glasgow 2026, India’s prospects have taken a hit after several sports, including badminton, were dropped from the programme, with organisers holding cost management responsible for the trim.

The decision, understandably, has not gone down well within India’s badminton community, with chief national coach P. Gopi Chand among those disappointed.

“Commonwealth was an important event and badminton not being there in Glasgow was quite shocking. It’s done and dusted for this edition, but we are hoping that in our edition in Ahmedabad (2030), we would have badminton featuring back again. Indian players are stronger than ever, so we do expect some medals from the event as well,” he said in an interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India.

“From an athlete’s perspective, Asian Games are tough for some events, but also there are some events where the participation of countries like Australia, England and Jamaica makes the standard of the Commonwealth Games higher than the Asian Games.”

The CWG is not the only area where badminton has seen change. The sport has also introduced proposals that have split opinion, including a new scoring system and trials involving synthetic shuttlecocks.

“What’s the point of complaining when it’s done? That’s one of the reasons why I haven’t spoken against it,” he quipped.

“For me, the sport has been very, very exciting in the last few years. We have tournaments filled with crowds. The calendar is packed with tournaments, and there was no need for us to mess with the system,” Gopi Chand said, talking about the new 3×15 scoring system replacing the traditional 21-point format.

The 52-year-old was, however, more receptive to the prospect of synthetic shuttlecocks, citing the need to make the sport more sustainable.

Gopi Chand also weighed in on Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s remarks about the lack of recognition for badminton players after India’s Thomas Cup bronze medal-winning team returned home to a subdued reception.

Satwik’s comments sparked debate, prompting him to later clarify that he was not asking for “money or grand parades” but simply urging people “to celebrate every win, big or small” across all sports.

“In a lot of ways, I endorse what Satwik said. It’s unfortunate that one of the best players the country has ever produced, especially in doubles, feels that way. We’ve never had anybody reach anywhere close to where they have reached. What he said is genuine. To have them win something big and then not get the recognition which they feel they should is unfortunate,” he explained.

“That said, I genuinely would love to see badminton and other sports being recognised more. But unfortunately, ground reality is that it doesn’t happen. Everybody should lend a hand to ensure that these players’ performances are portrayed better and the visibility is more, so that it is not just fans watching them but also the younger kids taking them as role models and we produce better players for the future.”

(Watch the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games live and exclusive on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV).

Former world No. 1 pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty fought back from a game down to clinch their maiden Singapore Open title, defeating Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in the men’s doubles final of the BWF Super 750 tournament, in Singapore on Sunday (May 31, 2026).

The Asian Games and Commonwealth Games champions produced a gritty comeback to secure their first title in two years and their ninth career World Tour crown, besides claiming a third Super 750 title with a tense 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 win in one hour 13 minutes.

The victory was particularly significant for the world No. 4 Indian duo, who became the first Indians to win the doubles title at the Singapore Open.

Satwik and Chirag had last lifted a trophy at the Thailand Open in 2024. Since then, they had reached four finals but finished runners-up on each occasion before finally breaking the drought in Singapore.

The Indians had entered the final trailing 1-2 in their head-to-head record against the Indonesian pair, with their most recent defeat coming in the Malaysia Open quarterfinals in January.

After dropping a closely-fought opening game, Satwik and Chirag raised their intensity and dominated the longer rallies to turn the contest around against the world No. 3 Indonesians.

The triumph capped an impressive week for the Indian pair, who had stunned reigning world champions and top seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea in the semifinals.

As the winning point was sealed, Satwik and Chirag lay flat on the court in celebration.

Satwik followed it up with a baby-themed celebration, while an ecstatic Chirag let out a loud roar before leaping onto his partner.

The duo later danced on court as they savoured a long-awaited return to the top step on the podium.