Satwik-Chirag working on defence after reuniting with Tan Kim Her

In the upcoming season, Chirag and his partner Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are aiming to compete in more events and clinch major titles, including the World Tour Finals.

Credited for bringing Chirag and Satwik together during his first stint in India between 2015 and 2019, Malaysian doubles specialist Tan returned to the country for a second innings last month.

Chirag said Tan had provided them with direction when they were young players but now their relationship is more conversational.

"To have Tan back as our coach after 5-6 years is great. A lot of credit goes to him for our achievements. We were still youngsters when he paired us up, and it was much more directional back then. But the approach is very different now; it's much more conversational," Chirag told PTI.

"We're already established now, so we discuss what we need to do, and as a coach, he shares his opinion."

Since Tan's return, the duo has been working on improving their defence and net play.

"It's the minor changes that really matter. Everybody knows how to smash, but it's the tactical details and small improvements that we need to focus on. I think we'll work on that with Tan, especially improving our defence, which is good but not yet the best in the world," Chirag said.

With Tan by their side, the duo also reflected on their shock quarterfinal loss at the Paris Olympics.

"He shared his thoughts on our quarterfinal loss, where he felt we fell short. It was similar to our own assessment. We should have been better at the net, especially during crucial stages. They challenged us well at the net, and that's one area we hope to improve upon," Chirag added.

Chirag and Satwik have been the most consistent Indian players over the past two years, with four final appearances and two title wins in 2024.

Despite making the semifinals in their last two tournaments at the 2024 China Masters and the Malaysia Super 1000, Chirag expressed that they are not satisfied with merely reaching the last four stage of a competition.

"We've been consistent, but in the last two tournaments, especially the China Open, we came back after a long gap, and to even reach the semifinals was unexpected. In Malaysia, we had some good wins but lost in the semifinals.

"Winning a tournament is always the goal when we enter, and I wouldn't say we're satisfied with just the semifinal finish. We want to go as deep as possible in the tournament here in India."

With the Paris Olympics looming, Chirag and Satwik didn't compete in too many tournaments last year, but they plan to play in more events this season.

"We played very few tournaments last year, less than 10. We hope to compete in more this time around and go as deep into the tournaments as possible to secure big title wins," Chirag said.

"The World Tour Finals is definitely one of our targets this year. There are also the World Championships, All England, and other major tournaments, and we hope to go as deep as possible in them," he added.

Reflecting on their Olympic loss, Chirag shared that he was back on court after two weeks, knowing that playing was the only way to overcome the pain of their defeat.

"Going into the Olympics, I was even training on Sundays, so it was very tough. But I took a two-week break to visit my hometown and spend time with friends.

"When I returned, I was sitting on the sofa, watching TV all day. It didn't feel right. I knew I needed to get back to training," he said.

"I was watching the World tour begin in two weeks, with tournaments like the Japan Open and Korea Open coming up, and I thought, 'This is not me. I need to get back into training'.

"The only way to get over this is by playing tournaments. Winning or losing doesn't matter; it's about playing and I think that sadness, that sorrow would go.

"There are plenty of things to achieve in the future. And there's always one more chance. And I think we'll go for the 2028 Olympics, and see how it goes," he signed off.