French Open 2024: Satwik-Chirag clinch maiden title in 2024, reach elite 100,000 point club

Duo won the finals in straight sets, lasting only 37 minutes

The Indian badminton duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinched their first title of the season at the French Open 2024, outplaying Yang-Po Han and Lee Jhe-huei of Chinese Taipei in straight sets (21-11, 21-17) in the finals.

The French Open holds a special place for Satwik and Chirag, as they have consistently performed well, reaching the semifinals four times and the finals three times. This victory marks their second French Open title, the first being in 2022, and their eighth title overall. Remarkably, they secured this title without dropping a single game throughout the tournament.

Known as the ‘Brothers of Destruction,’ the pair were competing in their third final of the year and their fourth consecutive final overall. Despite a series of four consecutive final losses, they turned the tide this time. Their opponents, too, were formidable, having defeated four top-10 players on their way to the finals, including three former World No. 1s, and were riding a nine-match winning streak.

The Indian pair started strong, leading 11-5 at the interval of the first game and swiftly securing it with a score of 21-11. The second game saw a neck-and-neck battle up to 14-14, but Satwik and Chirag pulled ahead to win 21-17, wrapping up the match in just 37 minutes—the shortest final of the day.

With their stellar performance at the French Open, Satwik and Chirag are set to surpass the 100,000-point milestone, joining an elite group of pairs who have achieved this feat, becoming the fifth men’s doubles team to do so after Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sukamujio, Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan, Lee Yang/Wang Chi-lin, and Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi.

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It’s also noteworthy that the Adidas Arena, which hosted the French Open, will be a venue for the upcoming Olympics, adding to the prestige of their triumph.

Road to Title

• Round of 32 – Defeated Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (21-13, 24-22)
• Round of 16 – Defeated Man Wei Chong/Kai Wun Tee (21-16, 21-8)
• Quarterfinal – Defeated Supak Jomkoh/Kittinupong Kedren (21-19, 21-13)
• Semifinal – Defeated Kang Min Hyuk/Seo Seung Jae (21-13, 21-16)
• Final – Defeated Lee Jhe Huei/Yang Po Han (21-11, 21-17)

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