Satwik-Chirag withdraws from Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament

India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have withdrawn from the Syed Modi International citing injury concerns. The duo, once world No. 1, recently returned to form at the China Masters but are prioritising recovery.

In Short

• Satwik-Chirag were considered to be favourites for the tournament
• The duo impressed by reaching the semifinals at China Masters
• Satwik still faces recovery challenges, as revealed by coach Sumeeth Reddy

India’s top men’s doubles badminton pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have withdrawn from the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament. The duo, once ranked world No. 1 and strong contenders for the men’s doubles title, had been out of action since the Paris Olympics due to Satwik’s shoulder injury. They recently returned to competitive play at the China Masters Super 750 tournament, where they impressed by reaching the semifinals.

However, B. Sumeeth Reddy, who has been coaching and supporting the pair during their recent outings, revealed that Satwik is still facing challenges with his recovery, prompting their decision to pull out of the event. As quoted by PTI, Reddy said that the duo are playing after a long time and had a hectic week in Shenzhen, where they had reached the semifinals.

"Satwik has just returned from injury. They are playing after a long time. They had a very hectic week in Shenzhen where they reached the semifinals. It is sometimes difficult to recover completely, so in the best interest, keeping their body in mind and the upcoming season, they decided to withdraw," said Reddy.

The top-seeded duo was initially scheduled to face Chen Xu Jun and Guo Ruo Han in the opening round. However, they have withdrawn, granting the Chinese pair a walkover to advance to the next stage.

Satwik-Chirag's achievements in 2024

Satwik-Chirag had a stellar outing in 2024 as they continued to rise up the charts in the badminton as one of the best doubles pairs in the world. The duo won the French Open and reached the finals of the Malaysia Open and India Open, where they ended up as runners-up.

They would also reach the semi-finals of the China Open and they also went till the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics, to become the first Indian pair to reach the last 8 stage of the event. Their performances on the court was rewarded as they claimed the No.1 spot in the BWF Rankings twice in 2024.